


Always Towards the Sun

by TheTimeTraveler24



Series: Books Rewritten - Will Solace [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Book 1: The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson), Book 1: The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus), Book 2: The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson), Book 2: The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus), Book 3: The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus), Book 3: The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson), Book 4: The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson), Book 4: The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus), Book 5: The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus), Book 5: The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson), Eventual Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Gen, POV Outsider, Pre-The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson), Pre-The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus), Will Solace is a Ball of Sunshine, Will Solace is a Dork
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:47:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 55
Words: 99,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23486287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTimeTraveler24/pseuds/TheTimeTraveler24
Summary: At ten years old, Will Solace was just beginning to grasp the idea that he might not actually be a normal kid. On his tenth birthday, he was whisked away from his home with his mom in Texas to live in a place called Camp Half-Blood where he learns he's a demigod. Will meets new friends in the Hermes cabin like Luke Castellan, Travis and Connor Stoll, and Cecil Markowitz. After he's claimed by Apollo, he meets Lee Fletcher and Michael Yew who are more than willing to take on their new brother. But after a trip to Olympus for the Winter Solstice, it's clear something's brewing. And it probably has to do with that new kid Percy Jackson.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Percy Jackson & Grover Underwood, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Cecil Markowitz & Will Solace, Lee Fletcher & Will Solace, Lou Ellen Blackstone & Cecil Markowitz, Lou Ellen Blackstone & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Thalia Grace & Will Solace, Will Solace & Michael Yew
Series: Books Rewritten - Will Solace [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711981
Comments: 344
Kudos: 630





	1. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Siempre hacia el Sol](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25651867) by [FalconeX](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FalconeX/pseuds/FalconeX)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, my Will Solace's POV of the Percy Jackson books! This will go through all five books and I'm planning to include the Heroes of Olympus series too.
> 
> UPDATED: 4/9/2020

At ten years old, Will Solace was just beginning to grasp the idea that he might not actually be a normal kid. Of course, he had spent the better part of the past year away from his mom and been surrounded by all kinds of crazy things.

During his tenth birthday party, a small celebration with just him and his mom, a boy knocked on their door. Naomi Solace had seemed worried when she answered it; however, Will was all too happy to see a boy who couldn’t have been more than two years older than himself.

“You have to take him to Camp,” the boy said in a hushed tone. “You know why I’ve been watching him the past week.”

Naomi glanced back at Will. She turned back to face the boy. “He’s only ten years old. He said they wouldn’t come until he was older. He said when Will was in middle school.”

The boy frowned. “I don’t understand it either, Ms. Solace, but they’re here. They know there’s one here and I can only keep his scent hidden for so long. Will has to come to Camp. He’ll be safe there. He just needs to train and then he can be home for the school year if he chooses.” He looked around nervously. “We need to go now though.”

“Okay,” Naomi whispered. She drew a shaky breath. “Will? We’re going on a trip, okay? Can you pack your suitcase really quick? You just need a few outfits.”

“I’ll help,” the boy offered. He smiled at Will. “Hi, Will. My name’s Philip.”

Philip helped Will pack a small suitcase with five outfits. At the time it had seemed strange that Philip would grab the picture frame of Will and his mom off the nightstand. Now, Will was grateful that Philip had done that.

Naomi had given Will a tearful goodbye when she pulled over on the side of the road somewhere in New York. She promised he could come see her in December if the director would allow it. Will didn’t understand why he wouldn’t be able to see his mom until December. He didn’t understand why his mom couldn’t walk him to this Camp she and Philip told him about on the drive there.

Will watched his mom wave one last time before getting in her car and slowly driving back the way they had come. Philip pulled him up a hill.

“Come on, Will. Remember what your mom and I said about this Camp? It’s for special kids like you to learn some pretty cool things.”

“I want my mom,” Will said, chin trembling. “Why can’t she stay?”

Philip squeezed Will’s hand. “Camp Half-Blood isn’t for people like your mom. Now come on. There’s some really cool guys you have to meet.”

The two boys finally reached the top of the hill where a great big pine tree stood. Below the hill was a whole flurry of activity. Kids walking around, chatting happily with their friends. Some kids rushed around in glinting metal armor. There were volleyball courts and basketball courts as well as a dozen cabins.

Philip led Will to a big farmhouse where Will was introduced to someone named Chiron, who turned out to be half-man and half-horse. A centaur, Philip had said. Chiron was nice. He greeted Will warmly and asked Philip to lead Will to cabin 11 for now.

Philip grimaced. “They won’t be too pleased with that. I hope his dad claims him soon.”

“Now, now,” Chiron said sternly. “The gods are busy of course. Besides, it would not do to speak ill of them and for us to lose a good satyr.”

“Sorry, sir,” Philip apologized. He looked at Will. “I’m going to show you to your cabin. You’ll be staying there until you’re claimed.”

Will followed Philip out of the farmhouse. He stared at the campgrounds in awe. “Where are we?”

“Camp Half-Blood,” Philip answered. “The only safe place for demigods.”

“Demigods?”

Philip nodded. “Yep. Did your mom ever tell you about the Greek gods or read you any of the Greek myths?”

“Like Hercules and Perceus?” Will asked.

“Exactly,” Philip said, grinning. “Hercules and Perceus were sons of Zeus, right? They’re like you. Your dad is one of the Greek gods.”

“My dad is Zeus?” Will gapped.

Philip looked down. “No. Zeus doesn’t have any demigod kids anymore.” The sky rumbled with thunder. Philip jumped. “Um, anyway, your dad is one of the Greek gods. Each cabin represents one of the gods. Cabin 11 is Hermes, the god of travelers. That’s where all the undetermined kids stay until they get claimed.”

“So who’s my dad?”

Philip shrugged. “Don’t know. We have to wait until he claims you.” He stopped in front of a cabin. “Luke?”

A blonde haired guy opened the door. “Hey, Philip?” His eyes caught sight of Will and he frowned. “New camper?”

Philip nodded. “Will Solace. Just got here.”

“Undetermined then,” the guy said. He offered Will a friendly smile. “You’ve come at a good time. Most of our cabin members are gone back to school now. Welcome, Will. You can have that bed in the corner." He gestured to a bed at the back of the cabin.

The guy was about eighteen, and he looked pretty cool. He was tall and muscular, with short-cropped sandy hair and a friendly smile. He wore an orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals, and a leather necklace with four different-colored clay beads. The only thing unsettling about his appearance was a thick white scar that ran from just beneath his right eye to his jaw, like an old knife slash.

“This is Luke,” Philip introduced. “He's the head counselor of Hermes cabin.”

Luke nodded. “Anything you need or any questions you have, just come to me.” He invited Will into the cabin. “Most people go home during the school year, but we’ve got quite a few members who stay year-round. That’s Travis and Connor Stoll, watch out for them. Hermes is also the god of thieves.”

“Thanks, Luke,” one of the boys called.

“Yeah, stop warning people about us,” the other added.

Luke laughed. “Never said you couldn’t prank anyone, just giving them a heads up.” He shook his head. “My half-brothers. Hermes is our dad. This is Cecil Markowitz. Also my half-brother, but he’s new like you. Chris Rodriguez, unclaimed.” Luke finished introducing Will to all the other kids in the Hermes cabin.

Over the next few days, Will followed the Hermes cabin around Camp Half-Blood for their day to day activities. Combat practice, volleyball practice, archery practice, strawberry-picking practice, and lava-wall-climbing practice.

They very quickly found out Will did not accel at combat. According to Cecil, Luke was the best swordsman in three hundred years, but even Luke had difficulty protecting himself from harm when he tried to teach Will how to properly swing a sword.

Volleyball went decently well considering Will had never tried the sport before. At least he didn’t spike the ball into multiple campers’ faces like the Stolls. Except, Will thought, they probably did that on purpose.

When it came time for archery, Will was cheered up somewhat when he hit the outside of the target on his first shot. The next few shots hit around the same area. His cheerful attitude quickly deflated when Michael Yew and Lee Fletcher from Apollo shot off ten arrows into the bullseye without looking.

“Apollo kids,” Cecil tried to shrug it off. “You can always tell which ones are Apollo’s. They can all hit the bullseye or compose a song or poem in their sleep. You did better than I did my first day. My arrow  _ just _ missed Clarisse from Ares. I had to hide in the cabin all day! Travis and Connor brought me dinner and dessert. Thought it was funny.”

Slowly but surely, Will’s archery improved. By a ring. Lee Fletcher, who was in charge of the class, offered Will a few tips which was helpful.

So, yes. He was ten years old and his life was definitely not normal. It didn’t seem to be heading that way either. He still didn’t know who his father was. He wasn’t sure he wanted to based on Luke’s bitter tone whenever Will asked him about Hermes.

And then he was claimed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like this! I'm excited to see where this goes. I've got some stuff written, and it sounds pretty good so far I think.


	2. Claimed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATED: 4/9/2020

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Will complained.

He was geared up for Capture the Flag. Not many campers were remaining, but they had enough for a small game. Hermes had teamed up with Athena, Hephestus, and Dionysus against Ares, Apollo, Aphrodite, Demeter. Annabeth Chase from Athena was in charge of strategy and she had told Will to pick up a sword and go on border patrol.

Annabeth glanced at Luke. “He’s been here a week, Luke. Haven’t you taught him how to swing a sword?”

“I have!” Luke protested. He looked at Will apologetically. “He just hasn’t really taken to it. We just need to find the right sword or dagger or something for him.”

Annabeth sighed. “Well, what  _ can _ he do then?”

She probably didn’t mean to sound so blunt or offensive, but her words still stung Will.

“I can do archery,” Will offered. “I can hit the big targets.”

The daughter of Athena didn’t look very impressed. “Just go on border patrol and try not to get killed. You! Cecil, right? Go with Will on border patrol.” She shooed them off and then moved off to talk to the Hephestus kids.

“Sorry,” Will mumbled. “You don’t have to come with me.”

Cecil snorted. “You kidding? Hermes is leading a charge for the other flag. If I didn’t go with you I’d be forced to charge right into Clarisse’s hands. I don’t think she’s forgiven me for the arrow thing yet.”

They wandered around the trees by the border. Cecil entertained himself by pickpocketing Will, waiting for Will to realize it and grab it back, and then pickpocketing Will again.

“Knock it off,” Will laughed after he caught Cecil pickpocketing for the tenth time. “Aren’t we supposed to be patrolling?”

“This is so much more fun,” Cecil grinned. But he stopped. “Anyway, Annabeth’s the daughter of Athena, so she’s put us here for a reason. We’ve got Hephestus, so Clarisse knows Ares is the only cabin on her side with a chance at getting our flag. Apollo cabin is all archers, and most of them can’t do well with sword fighting. I mean, don’t get me wrong, they could totally take down a group of monsters with swords, but it’s not their strong point. They’re probably defending the flag though. Demeter and Aphrodite don’t have many kids here during the winter, so they’ll be wherever they’re needed.”

“I thought you were new.”

“Luke explained it to me last week. First Capture the Flag game was the day after I arrived. It was a lot more busy though.”

As it turned out, Cecil was right about one thing. Five minutes later, the Ares kids came rushing past the border, effectively besting Cecil and Will.

Will sat up woozily as he heard fighting breaking out where he knew the flag had been placed. He winced and cradled his wrist.

“Owww,” he groaned.

“Ugh, what? I feel like I just got trampled by a bunch of pegasi,” Cecil mumbled as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. His eyes widened. “Holy Hades! Dude, your wrist is  _ purple _ .”

“Thank you for noticing,” Will said dryly. He bit his lip. “What do I do? There’s doctors and stuff here, right?”

“Yeah, Apollo’s kids,” Cecil said, eyes still staring at Will’s wrist. “God of medicine, so his kids run the infirmary. Uh, I can see if one of them is around…?” he scanned the area.

A sound of whooping and hollering.

Will and Cecil turned to see Annabeth racing through the trees, flag in hand, followed by Luke and some other Hermes kids.

“Come on,” Cecil said, offering a hand. “I’ll show you to the infirmary.”

.

“Well, it could be worse,” the Apollo girl said as she handed Will a small cracker he learned was called ambrosia. “I’ve seen the Ares kids do more than a broken wrist in Capture the Flag.” She frowned. “It wasn’t as bad as you two described though. Are you  _ sure _ it actually hurt a lot? It was just a small break.”

“It was swollen and purple,” Cecil insisted.

Will stared at his rapidly healing wrist. “It did hurt. A lot. I  _ broke my wrist _ . Of course it hurts.”

“I’m just saying the actual break did not match what you were describing,” she said, giving Cecil a suspicious look. “If this is a Hermes prank…”

“It’s not,” Cecil complained. “Besides, maybe you older demigods have a tolerance for pain, but Will and I are new!”

“Fair enough,” the girl rolled her eyes. “Go on. You’ll miss dinner.”

Cecil and Will left the infirmary and trekked down to the dining pavilion.

“Welcome to Camp Half-Blood!” Cecil said brightly on the way. “Where getting broken bones is just another day in the life.”

“Broken bones?” Travis Stoll asked.

“Who broke something?” Connor added.

Cecil pointed to Will. “First broken bone. His wrist.”

“Congrats,” Connor said with a grin. “Breaking something or getting serious burns on the lava wall is like a rite of passage here.”

“But what if someone managed to  _ not _ break anything  _ or _ get burned?” Will suggested. “Wouldn’t that be more impressive?”

Travis frowned. “If you had grey eyes, I’d say you’d be a child of Athena with that logic.”

“My mom is mortal.”

“Does it matter? Some of the gods have had relationships with guys and still had kids,” Travis said, rolling his eyes in a ‘duh’ way. “Goddesses can have relationships with mortal women too probably.”

Will tilted his head. “Well, who  _ do _ you think my godly parent is?”

“Well, it’s not any of the Big Three, that’s for sure,” Connor said seriously. “No way you could be a Hades kid, and if Zeus or Poseidon was your father, Hades would have all the monsters he could on you in a second. They aren’t supposed to have any kids.” He snorted. “Hold long you think it’ll be before another one shows up?”

“Two years,” Travis said confidently. “And definitely Zeus.”

“Why don’t they have kids?” Will asked.

Travis and Connor looked unnaturally solemn. “Well, World War Two was a fight between a Hades kid and a Zeus and a Poseidon kid,” Travis explained. “The Big Three vowed no more kids after that. Few years back, this girl was getting rushed to Camp. She was a daughter of Zeus, right?”

“So Hades set all kinds of monsters on her,” Conner continued. “He was mad Zeus broke the vow. Anyway, she’s here, like at the top of the hill, but two other demigods are with her. So Zeus’ kid, her name was Thalia, stays back to fight the monsters. She doesn’t make it. Her dad turned her into that pine tree at the top of the hill.”

Will’s face was very pale. “We get turned into trees when we die?”

“Nah, just the special ones,” Connor waved it off. “But there hasn’t been another Big Three kid other than her.”

“I’d bet Hermes,” Travis mused. “Will  _ cannot _ be Mr. D’s kid, and he doesn’t really strike me as the Demeter type, you know?”

Connor nodded. “Probably Hermes. Dad’s pretty good about claiming his kids. The rest of the gods…” he trailed off.

“Suck at keeping up with their kids?” Luke finished. “Yeah, that’s true.”

The Ares cabin stomped into the dining pavilion. They didn’t look too happy about losing. Some of the Apollo campers traded nervous looks.

“Nice game, Clarisse!” Luke called with a smirk.

Clarisse glared at him. “Screw you, Luke.”

Cecil chortled. “Oh man, I’m so glad we beat the- DUCK!”

Travis, Connor, and Luke lowered their heads. Will stared at the spot Cecil’s head used to occupy as something whizzed past.

“Was that a knife?” he stammered.

“AHHRGG!”

Will turned around to see a Hephestus boy pulling the knife that had been thrown their way out of his arm. Despite the bleeding wound, the boy glared around.

“Who threw this?” he yelled. He stumbled into the Hermes table.

Will jumped up and pressed a wad of napkins to the wound. “Pressure stops the bleeding,” he mumbled to himself. “Keep pressure. Keep pressure. Need a bandage or something.”

“Look out! Coming through!” Michael Yew called, heading over with a first aid kit. He pulled out some ambrosia. “Eat this quick. Will, can you keep the pressure on that?” He dug around his first aid kit. “Bandage. Here, use this instead of the napkins.”

Will took the offered dressing and replaced the napkins. Michael handed him a roll of bandage which Will immediately wrapped around the dressing. When he was done, Michael gave him an impressed look.

“Nicely done. I don’t suppose you’ve ever done this before?” he asked wryly.

Will shook his head. He was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with all the attention. “No I-” but what he was going to say was cut off by the gasp of all the campers.

A golden light bathed Will. He looked up to see a lyre floating above his head.

Chiron, now finished with his berating of the Ares cabin, smiled at Will. “Hail Will Solace. Son of Apollo, god of healing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured, Chiron'll list off what the god/goddess in question is the god/goddess of, but Apollo's got like fifty different things he's god of, so Chiron would just go with the medicine and healing route since that's how Will got claimed. I dunno. Like, he made a huge ish deal for Percy and Jason too, but they're Big Three kids. I feel like non-Big Three kids would get less of a to do.


	3. The Winter Solstice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATED: 4/9/2020

Adjusting to life as a son of Apollo was hard.

For one, the Apollo cabin was expected to lead the sing-alongs, and as Will and his siblings had quickly discovered, Will did not have a very good voice.

“Maybe you favor instruments,” Lee suggested. “We have a few different ones. You can try them out, and see how that goes.”

Needless to say, Will found out that he could not play the guitar, harp, saxophone, violin, or trumpet. It wasn’t for lack of trying on his new half-siblings’ part. They seemed to find the challenge of searching for the perfect instrument for Will exhilarating.

For two, he was the odd one out at archery. Lee and Michael resumed their contests to see who the better archer was every time they had archery practice. Although, in Will’s opinion, archery practice was another word for ‘Time for Lee Fletcher and Michael Yew to show off how great they are at archery’. Will’s archery had gotten slightly better, but he was still in the three or four points range.

For three, the only Apollo thing Will really seemed to excel at was healing. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you looked at it), not many demigods needed healing. He generally was stuck sitting in the infirmary with nothing to do.

Luckily, Cecil deemed Will still worthy to hang around, and he would sit with Will occasionally.

“Guess what?” Ceci said excitedly one day.

Will raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“We get to go to Olympus!”

“Huh?”

Cecil sighed. “Wiiiillllll,” he whined. “Olympus. The place where our dads live? We get to go! You’ll go, right? It’s for the winter solstice. It’s going to be so cool. We could actually meet the gods.”

When he put it that way, Will had to admit it did seem kinda cool. After all, how many kids his age could say they’ve been to Olympus?

“How are we getting there?” Will asked cautiously. “I don’t think my mom will just buy me a ticket to Greece by myself or anything.”

Cecil smacked his head. “No, silly. Olympus is above the Empire State Building. 600th floor.” He gave Will a sheepish look. “I asked Luke about it. I guess the gods don’t usually like demigods entering Olympus, but Chiron got special permission to take us. Those of us that want to go anyway. So you’ll go?”

Will gave his friend a small smile. “Okay. I guess so.”

Luke, Connor, Travis, Annabeth, Lee, Michael, Cecil, and Will were all going as well as Castor and Pollux from Dionysus cabin, Clarisse and two of her brothers from Ares cabin, and Katie Gardner from Demeter.

“Try not to disrespect the gods,” Luke hissed to Travis and Connor. “I don’t want to clean up the ashes after Zeus strikes you with his bolt or something.”

Cecil’s eyes went wide. “They’re going to kill us?”

“No!” Annabeth snapped, frowning at Luke. “No one is going to kill you as long as you  _ behave _ and be  _ respectful _ to the gods. Luke, stop scaring them.”

The elevator ride was cramped. Chiron was in a magical wheelchair that held his horse body which gave them a little more room, but with fourteen other demigods also crammed in, the fit was tight.

“Ugh, what is this stuff?” Will complained as the elevator music played.

Michael snorted. “That would be dad. He’s the god of music too, so… singing.” He shrugged like ‘what are you going to do’.

Will closed his mouth and didn’t say another word about the singing.

“Wow!” Annabeth exclaimed when the doors opened and they all piled out to see Olympus. “Oh, it’s beautiful! Look at all the temples and fountains!”

Apparently, Annabeth was a bit of an architect buff because the whole way to the throne room of the gods, she sprouted off random facts about the structure and style. By the time they reached the gleaming palace, even Chiron looked annoyed by her constant chatter.

“Oh look,” Mr. D said as the campers entered the throne room. “The brats.” He did seem to like the sight of his two sons though because he looked almost not irritated.

“Lord Zeus,” Chiron greeted a man in a dark blue pinstriped suit.

Will gaped in astonishment. He stared, wide-eyed at all the apparent gods and goddesses gathered.

The twelve Olympians were clearly indicated as the twelve beings seated in the twelve thrones that formed a u-shape around a large fire. If he had to take a guess at who was who, Will was pretty sure he could guess just by the thrones.

Zeus had a crackling bolt resting on the arm of his throne. A trident leaned against Poseidon’s throne. Apple-tree branches, wheat stalks, and grass grew around Demeter’s throne. Peacock feathers made up the back of Hera’s throne. Ares no doubt had the leather throne. Mr. D’s throne had grape vines curling around it. Hephaestus appeared to have made his throne himself judging by the patchwork metal. Hermes and Athena seemed to have the most simple thrones with Athena’s being a light grey-silver and Hermes’ being made of grey rock. Aphrodite’s throne was adorned with various precious stones that shimmered. Two thrones glowed ever so slightly. One was silver and the other was gold. Artemis had to be the silver one which meant that the gold one was Apollo’s. His dad.

Will stared at the god sitting lazily in his throne.

Lee whistled lowly. “Woah, you really look a lot like him, Will. I mean, sure they can change their appearance, but wow.”

Apollo seemed to notice them staring because he grinned and jumped up. “My kids are here!” He cleared his throat. “I feel a haiku coming on.  _ I have some cool kids / They come to Olympus now / I am so awesome _ .” He looked at Michael, Lee, and Will expectantly.

“Um, thanks,” Michael said uncertainly.

Lee nodded. “Yeah, that was great, uh, dad.”

Apollo beamed, his smile nearly blinding them.

A shadow seemed to suck the light out just then. From the corners, a man stepped out of the shadows. He had very pale white skin, and his black eye glinted. His dark hair seemed to cast a shadow over his face.

“Brother,” Zeus greeted flatly.

“Zeus,” the man said coldly. He made his way to a makeshift throne that Will hadn’t noticed before.

“Hades,” Cecil hissed in Will’s ear. “Oh gods we’re going to die.”

Will could have sworn he saw the corners of Hades’ mouth twitch upwards as if he had heard what Cecil said. He rolled his eyes and looked at his friend. “Annabeth said no one was going to kill us.”

That might not be the case anymore because the next thing Will knew is that they woke up to the fury of the gods. The fury of Zeus at least.

“What’s going on?” he whispered to Luke.

Luke looked impassive. “I don’t know. Zeus is angry about something.”

They didn’t learn what had Zeus so angry before Chiron was rushing them back to the elevator to return to Camp Half-Blood.

Annabeth and Luke had their heads together in discussion the whole way back to Camp. Cecil looked jumpy and paranoid. Will tried to tune into Annabeth and Luke’s conversation, but they either talked too low or Michael and Lee would try to start a conversation with Will.

Rumors spread that something had been stolen, but no one was sure what.

Chiron barely had time to address them before he had to return to the school in New York he was teaching at. He hadn’t given much about  _ that _ either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... I'm working on my lil timeline of events and one of those events includes birthdays. Bit complicated with Hazel and Nico, but mostly Nico because there's a lot of conflicting info. Anyway, does anyone know if he's 14 as of The Hidden Oracle which takes place roughly a few days or a week or so before his birthday or if he was about to turn 14 in the days following Hidden Oracle? His age is listed as 14 on Riordan Wiki, but the way I did the math puts him as 14 going on 15, but that doesn't line up with Grover saying he's 10 in Titan's Curse. Ugh, complications.
> 
> Anyway... gotta love Apollo and his haikus!
> 
> Also, I have been staring at my computer screen for hours writing the Battle of Manhattan part and it's thunderstorming and my eyes hurt (probably from the screen and the lightning and the sad stuff I have to relive). Like, the sky is an actual lightbulb at points with all this lightning. Anyway, figured I post this before power goes out and I lose my WiFi.
> 
> UPDATE: So I fixed out a timeline that is definitely more accurate than what I was using. The one I had been using put SoM a whole year earlier so that had my dates and everything off a little.


	4. Percy Jackson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
> 
> UPDATED: 4/9/2020

Percy Jackson’s arrival was met with mixed emotions. Supposedly, he was the demigod Chiron had made a house call for. Supposedly he was the son of a powerful god.

However, Percy Jackson had been asleep in the infirmary for the past few days. Sometimes he drooled too.

Sometimes he would catch Annabeth sneaking in to talk to Percy.

“-going on? What was stolen? We’ve only got a few weeks!”

"I'm sorry," a boy’s voice mumbled, "I don't..."

Will knocked on the door. When he entered the room, Annabeth was cleaning ambrosia off Percy’s face.

“You can’t be here,” Will said in exasperation.

Annabeth threw him a look. “Don’t pretend you aren’t curious about the Summer Solstice deadline. Something happened in December, Will.”

“He needs rest,” Will said pointedly. “And even if I was curious, I would know to wait until he was actually conscious to interrogate him.”

“I’m not interrogating him!” Annabeth protested.

Will crossed his arms. “Then get out before Chiron sees you here.”

Annabeth left the room in a huff.

Finally, Percy woke up, and was sent off to the Hermes cabin. But not before making a splash. Literally.

“Dude, did you hear about Clarisse?” Cecil whispered to Will.

Will rolled his eyes. “I’ve been in the infirmary all day. What do you think?”

“She and her buddies tried to dunk Percy in the bathrooms,” Cecil said gleefully. “Clarisse got soaked instead! It’s totally awesome!”

Will grinned. “So what’s he like? I only saw him unconscious.”

“Pretty cool,” Cecil shrugged. “He did trip coming into the cabin though. That was funny.” Then he frowned. “He drinks  _ blue _ cherry coke.”

“You’re judging him based on his choice of coke?” Will snorted.

“He likes blue stuff,” Cecil sighed. “I dunno. It’s like… an obsession.”

Will bit his lip. “His mom died getting him to Camp. Maybe it was her favorite color.”

That put an end to the conversation since neither boy was really sure what to say about Percy’s mother’s death nor the blue food.

Will almost started to feel okay that he was less than satisfactory in his defense skills after witnessing Percy shoot arrow after arrow into every direction except the target, even getting one stuck in Chiron’s tail. Plus, from what he was observing of Percy’s sword fighting with Luke, that wasn’t going well either.

“I thought he was supposed to be this powerful demigod,” Will said to Lee while they observed Percy and Luke sparring.

Lee shrugged. “I mean, he did defeat the Min- uh, I mean, well, you know what I mean. Anyway, that might have been adrenaline. I don’t know- WOAH!”

Luke's sword fell to the ground with a  _ CLANG! _ Everyone stared in amazement. The tip of Percy’s blade was an inch from Luke’s undefended chest.

Percy lowered the sword. “Um, sorry.”

"Sorry?" Luke repeated. "By the gods, Percy, why are you sorry? Show me that again!"

But this time, the moment the two swords connected, Luke hit Percy’s hilt and sent Percy’s sword skidding across the floor.

“How did he manage to beat Luke?” Michael wondered. “Even if the first time was beginner’s luck.”

Percy couldn’t repeat his performance, but Luke was the best swordsman in three hundred years. Percy had managed to knock the sword from Luke’s hand at least once and on his first try at sword fighting. That was one more time than Will had managed to do against anyone at Camp, and Will had been here longer.

It wasn’t jealousy. Well, yeah, it kinda was. Okay, fine, it was jealousy.

So far, all Will had to show for nearly ten months of being at Camp was a job at the infirmary. Even then, he couldn’t do much more than assist his older siblings or walk around and keep an eye on the patients. Archery was going nowhere fast, and sword fighting was  _ way _ out of the realm of possibility. Healing was his only main skill.

At Capture the Flag on Friday, Will got to tag along with the rest of his cabin. They didn’t put him at the front though. Michael and Lee, the most skilled archers, got to lead.

It was a great day for them on the blue team because Luke managed to snag the flag and cross the border without any interference from Ares. It seemed Clarisse was intent on getting revenge on Percy for the bathroom incident.

All of a sudden, a black hound the size of a rhino, with lava-red eyes and fangs like daggers appeared.

“Percy, run!” Annabeth shouted.

The hellhound leap at Percy, but Will’s siblings let loose a rain of arrows. Chiron also shot a few arrows at the hound. The monster fell to the ground, dead.

Chiron trotted up next to Percy.

"Di immortales!" Annabeth said. "That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't… they're not supposed to…” She trailed off, realizing what the obvious implications were.

"Someone summoned it," Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp."

That was a terrifying thought. Will ran through the list of possible campers that could have done it. Most belonged to the Hermes cabin, but they looked so shocked that Will didn’t think they could have possibly done it. Not even Travis or Connor Stoll would have the nerve to try a prank this extreme, and if something  _ did _ go wrong with a prank, they usually owned up to it.

A glow of green pulled Will out of his thoughts. He gaped at Percy. Floating above his head was a glowing green trident.

“No way,” Lee mumbled.

"It is determined," Chiron announced. His words seemed to jar the rest of the campers because they all started kneeling.

"My father?" Percy asked.

"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."

No. That really was not good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Percy has arrived. Will, prepare yourself for a buncha crazy stuff.
> 
> So... given the TLT takes place in 2005 and Percy was born in 1993... Percy is actually 11 and not 12... I think I'm going slightly mad (*hums Queen song*) with this. This is all according to the Riordan Wiki which I am using as my timeline of events. So Percy's 11... well, I got nothing. *points finger at Rick* BLAME HIM!
> 
> Actually, maybe we can take it as Percy's narration happened after the events of TLT? Then he would be 12. Gods, this is frustrating.
> 
> UPDATE: Just disregard all that up there... I fixed the timeline. We're good. Everything is cool. TLT takes place in 2006 and Percy IS 12. I might include my timeline in one of the chapters eventually. What do you guys think? Want that?


	5. At Camp Half-Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from the Lightning Thief
> 
> Also, the previous chapters have been updated to match the canon timeline of events of the Percy Jackson book series. It took much mapping out, but since I have all the time in the world right now... well, here ya go.

“Luke says they’ll probably be okay,” Cecil said as they watched Percy Jackson leaving Camp Half-Blood with Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood. “But I know he’s just saying that. Luke was the last person to go on a quest. It didn’t go so well. I’m pretty sure they’re only going because of whatever the gods are fighting about.”

Katie Gardner threw Cecil a dirty look. “Don’t say that. Annabeth’s really smart, and Percy’s the son of Poseidon. They’ll be fine.” Her expression didn’t look too convincing.

Will sighed. “Great.” He and Cecil walked back to the main part of Camp once the trio of questers disappeared. “I wish  _ I _ could leave Camp. I’d like to see my mom again. Letters just aren’t the same.”

“I’d sing you a rousing chorus of ‘Under the Sea’ which some lyrics changed to tell you why it’s so much cooler at Camp, but I think my voice might offend people.”

“Knock yourself out. Doubt it could be any worse than  _ my _ voice.”

Cecil opened his mouth and started warbling out his new song. “The t-shirts are always orange here, in the camp for demigods. You dream about going out there, but that is a big mistake. Just look at the camp around you, right here on Long I-island. Such wonderful things surround you, what more is you lookin’ for?” Cecil was skipping alongside Will at this point. “At Camp Half-Blood. At Camp Half-Blood. Darling it’s better, down where we’re safer, take it from me.”

“Okay, oh my gods, shut up,” Will muttered.

Cecil ignored him. “Out in the world, they fight monsters all day. Out in the world, they always die. While we devotin’ full time to livin’ at Camp Half-Blood.”

“Dear gods,” Will said, covering his ears. “Cecil, please stop!”

“I’m having too much fun, Will,” Cecil said cheerfully before resuming his ‘Under the Sea’ cover. “In here all the gods’ kids are happy, as off on canoes they row. The kids in the world ain’t happy. They sad ‘cause they get attacked. But kids out there are frightened. They in for a worser fate. One day when the monsters get them, guess who’s gon’ be in Hades?”

“When did you have time to come up with this?” Will complained.

“At Camp Half-Blood. At Camp Half-Blood. No monsters beat us, stab us and kill us. Thanks to pine tree! We what the monsters loves to kill. Here in Camp we off the hook. We got no troubles, life is amazing at Camp Half-Blood. At Camp Half-Blood.”

“I’m going to ignore the fact that a child of  _ Hermes _ is defiling a Disney song at a camp where multiple children who still like Disney Princess movies attend,” Michael said from behind them. His arms were crossed and he raised an eyebrow. “What’s with this song singing?”

“Like it?” Cecil grinned. “I call it ‘At Camp Half-Blood’ and I dedicate it to Will Solace.” He looked pleased with himself. “It’s not done yet, but I can finish it if you give me a few minutes.”

“Please don’t,” Will begged. “I get it. It’s great here. No monsters  _ except that hellhound _ can get to us.”

Cecil rolled his eyes. “Way to be a buzzkill, Will. Hey,” he said brightly, “I’m a poet and I didn’t know it!” He stretched his arms out. “Hermes really is a jack of all trades, eh? Poetry, stealing, writing songs, breaking and entering, all that good stuff.”

“Oh my gods,” Michael muttered.

.

Things quickly went south after the questers left. Someone found out why the gods were so angry. Someone leaked it to the rest of the camp. One day, no one knew anything. The next day, it was all anyone could talk about.

“I can’t believe it,” Cecil said, shaking his head. “I mean, I wondered why Poseidon would claim Percy since there’s supposed to be that whole no kids thing. Better have a kid everyone suspects in your son than have a kid you acknowledge is your son, you know?”

“Yeah,” Will agreed. “It’s nice having Clarisse off our backs though. Apollo cabin sided with Poseidon. Well, Percy, I guess, but…”

“Aphrodite, Ares, and Apollo for Poseidon,” Cecil ticked off on his fingers. “Athena’s for Zeus. You know, we could make a TV show about our lives.”

“Who’d want to watch  _ that? _ Why would anyone want to watch our lives?” Will asked. “I mean, we… we train to kill monsters or heal injuries  _ inflicted _ by monsters. Our lives kinda suck.”

“Soap opera,” Cecil continued as if he hadn’t heard Will. “Like  _ all _ the drama that goes on. Bet the Aphrodite kids would be willing to break a few hearts.”

Will shook his head.

The fighting only got worse as time went on. If Poseidon himself couldn’t literally appear out of thin air at Camp Half-Blood and vaporize them, the Athena kids probably would have TP’ed or egged Cabin 3.

By the summer solstice, no one had heard from the three questers. Everyone’s nerves were on edge as they discussed the possibility of a war between the gods.

“It would be bad,” Lee said with a grimace. “I mean, the last time there was a war was World War Two. Zeus and Poseidon against Hades. Mostly their kids, but the gods got into it too. It’s the whole reason Percy’s not even supposed to  _ exist _ .” He frowned. “Zeus and Poseidon both had a kid. Do you think Hades did too? What if there’s some child of Hades out there right now?”

Michael snorted. “It’s amazing that there even  _ were _ children of Hades. I can’t see the Lord of the Dead falling in love with a mortal.”

“Hush you,” Silena Beauregard of Aphrodite chidded them. “Love is out there for everyone. Just because none of  _ you _ would be attracted to Hades doesn’t mean there isn’t someone who was. I think he’d be the dark and mysterious type. Lots of women like that, you know.”

“Ew, can we  _ not _ talk about the gods falling in love with mortals,” Travis wrinkled his nose. “I love my siblings, but I do not want to think about my dad and their moms.”

Silena rolled her eyes. “You made it weird, Travis. Not me.”

It seemed like tensions were rising higher and higher until finally, on the day of the Summer Solstice, Annabeth and Grover arrived at Camp Half-Blood.

“It was Ares!” Annabeth gasped as Chiron arrived. “Ares stole the Master Bolt and the Helm of Darkness. Percy’s at Olympus right now. He sent us to tell you just-” she cut herself off. “He sent us to tell you,” she finished.

“He wanted to start a war between the gods,” Grover added.

Chiron gave a sigh of relief. “That has been avoided at least. You returned the Helm and the Bolt, I assume.”

Grover’s eyes shone with admiration. “After we escaped the Underworld, Percy fought Ares! It was incredible, Chiron. He got the Helm back from Ares and then the three Kindly Ones showed up to take it back to Hades.”

“Ares wanted Hades to kill us for the Bolt,” Annabeth said quietly. “He gave Percy a backpack with the Bolt before we went to the Underworld. Percy’s returning it to Zeus right now.”

“Ares stole the Master Bolt from Zeus?” Will whispered to Cecil.

Cecil was wide eyed. “Holy Hades. I thought the gods couldn’t steal from each other.”

“They can’t,” Luke’s voice said from behind him. He had an odd look, almost like jealousy, on his face. “He had help. Someone stole it for him. Probably one of his kids. I mean, that’s why Percy was accused, right? Everyone thought Poseidon had Percy steal it for him.”

Will eyed Clarisse warily. She looked angry. Maybe she  _ had _ stolen the Bolt.

Hours later, Percy returned and suddenly the overall mood of the Camp improved. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover were given laurel wreaths to wear to a big feast, and then they got to burn the burial shrouds that had been made for them.

Will sat with his siblings as they led the campers in a sing-along around the campfire. Even though he hadn’t dared open his mouth to sing, he couldn’t help but smile at all the chatter and laughter.

Well, Clarisse and the Ares cabin weren’t laughing, but Will still wasn’t sure if that was because Percy beat their dad or if that was because Ares was caught.

“Yes, yes, so the little brat didn’t get himself killed,” Mr. D snapped, “and now he’ll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday…”

The buzz of excitement still hadn’t worn off days later. By the time the Fourth of July came around, the three questers had reached startling amounts of popularity around camp. Which definitely explained the various tridents, owls, and hooves designs in the sky throughout the show though there were others such as Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington crossing the Delaware.

July passed without much affair, and going into August and nearing the end of the summer session was relatively peaceful. Much of Will’s time was spent in the infirmary healing any injuries from Capture the Flag.

The last night of the summer session came all too quickly. The campers had one last meal together and at the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads. Since he had come after the summer session had ended, Will was getting his first bead.

The design was pitch black with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.

"The choice was unanimous," Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first Son of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"

The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares's cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena's cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share in the applause.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to take credit for the song, but even though I came up with the new lyrics to fit for the situation, I think Disney probably still has the ownership thing...
> 
> You guys all read that in Sebastian's voice, right? Because I definitely did. Multiple times.
> 
> Probably should mention at least in words that I have managed to figure out my timeline struggle. Will is ten years old at the start of this story now, not nine. I've placed Will's birthday in August, so the story starts in August of 2005 on Will's tenth birthday rather than August of 2004 on Will's ninth birthday. Other than that, not much has changed.
> 
> I asked this is the previous chapter, but if anyone missed it because I don't know how Ao3 notifies of updates (do they notify of updates?), would you guys want a rough outline of the timeline I'm using? It would pretty much just include when the main characters were born, yearly birthdays starting at the start of the story (Will and Percy only for sure since this is Will's PoV and Percy's birthday is pretty important to PJO plot), and notes like oh this quest started here. Not too detailed or anything.


	6. Betrayed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable conversation from the Lightning Thief.

“HELP!”

Will turned to see Annabeth dragging Percy towards the infirmary. Chiron galloped up to them looking alarmed.

“We need a healer now!” Annabeth screamed.

Lee rushed around the infirmary getting a bed ready for Percy. “Bring him here!”

When he saw Percy, Will blanched. The son of Poseidon was green and grey. His hand was oozing from a huge red welt.

“Will, get me a big bowl of water!” Lee ordered. “Salt water might be better. What happened?”

“I don’t know!” Annabeth said frantically. “I found him like this. He must have run into something in the forest.”

Chiron and Lee examined the hand as Will brought over the requested bowl of salt water. Lee dropped Percy’s hand into the water. Some color returned to his skin, but whatever had hurt him was clearly not going away.

“Pit scorpion,” Chiron murmured.

Lee paled. “Chiron, can you do something? I… ambrosia won’t cure this. The salt water’s put the infection on hold, but not forever.”

Chiron nodded. “Annabeth, Lee, Will, I want you to make sure no one else goes into the woods right now. There shouldn’t be any pit scorpions around camp. I don’t know how one got Percy, but I don’t want anyone else getting hurt.”

Annabeth opened her mouth to argue, but Lee dragged her and Will outside.

An hour later, Chiron finally came out of the infirmary room Percy was in.

“How is he?” Annabeth asked immediately.

Will glanced up, curious.

“He’ll wake soon,” Chiron said grimly. “We’ll need to know what happened though.” He led Annabeth into the room.

Will looked around, then made his way over. He strained to hear.

“...green and turning gray when we found you. If it weren't for Chiron's healing…”

"Now, now," Chiron's voice said. "Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit. How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved."

Will suppressed a snort.

"Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened."

This was it. What Will wanted to know. The woods were stocked with all kinds of dangerous beasts, but one thing Chiron did not allow was pit scorpions. The venom wasn’t treatable with ambrosia or nectar, rendering most of the Apollo kids useless in healing anyone stung by one. Healing hymns could slow the progression, but generally, the venom acted too fast to be healed.

So why had there been a pit scorpion at Camp to sting Percy? Someone had to have summoned it. But who?

“Luke and I went to the woods to talk,” Percy was saying. “He said he was leaving, and then he summoned that… that pit scorpion.  _ He _ stole the Bolt.  _ He _ summoned the hellhound. Kronos is speaking to him, and Luke is helping him. He gave me those shoes to drag me to Tartarus. I… I… Grover almost  _ died _ because of those shoes!” Percy’s voice sounded bitter and heartbroken.

Will’s own heart thudded painfully in his chest. Luke had been one of the first demigods he had met. Will  _ trusted _ Luke. From the sound of it, Percy trusted Luke too. For most campers, Luke had been a good friend and someone to look up to. But he betrayed them. He was working for Kronos.

Will shook his head and went to a new area of the Infirmary.

“Hey, are you okay? You look a little pale,” Michael said, looking at Will in concern.

Will bit his lip. “I, uh, I heard something Percy told Chiron.”

Michael’s face fell. “The pit scorpion. Someone had to have summoned it. Did… did Percy say who?”

“Ah, Michael,” Chiron said from behind Will.

Will and Michael turned to look at him. “Hi, Chiron. What do you need?”

“Can you gather up all the counselors who are remaining for the school year?” Chiron asked, a troubled expression on his face. “I’m afraid I have troubling news.” He left with a frown.

Michael glanced at Will. “Is this about whatever you heard? What’s up?”

“I shouldn’t have even been listening,” Will said, wide-eyed. “Anyway, I should be going over all the stuff for the test. It’s almost been a year, and I plan to take it as soon as possible.”

For the most part, Apollo kids knew how to treat wounds and what hymns to sing for what instinctively. However, Chiron had insisted on some ground rules for them running the infirmary. The first was that in order to work there, they had to spend at least one year observing and helping when allowed. Check. Will had been doing that for a whole year. Second, they had to be double digits to work. Check. Will was ten years old, almost eleven. Third, they had to pass a test with short answer questions quizzing them on what to do in different scenarios and complete with a practical portion where they actually acted out said scenarios. As soon as Will’s eleventh birthday came around, he would be taking the test.

Michael chewed his lip. “Yeah, okay. I should go find Lee then.”

.

“I can’t believe it,” Cecil whispered in shock. “Luke… how could he? He… he’s my brother. I don’t understand.”

Most of the camp was still reeling. Percy had left, so no one was able to interrogate him. Probably for the best. Percy had thought of Luke as a friend like the rest of them. The betrayal was probably fresh in the son of Poseidon’s mind.

“Maybe it was an accident,” Will suggested. “The pit scorpion could have made Percy think that.”

“Then where’s Luke?” Cecil asked miserably. “Not here. Because he left. He’s decided to go off on some revenge tour against the gods. Against our  _ father _ .”

Will’s stomach clenched. Chiron had told the counselors Luke had betrayed them. Luke had tried to kill Percy. Luke was angry with the gods. He hadn’t mentioned Kronos. Probably in an attempt to not freak the whole camp out. But the secret weighed heavily in Will’s mind.

“He’s my brother,” Cecil repeated.

.

Life at Camp had slowly returned to normal. A few of the Athena campers that stayed year-round helped tutor the other demigods with mortal school classes. Lee and Michael kept up trying to improve Will’s (and the rest of the camper’s) archery. Various Ares campers would take turns hosting the sword fighting class, but mostly that class was a reminder of what they had lost. Or rather, who they had lost.

Will excelled in the infirmary, and his siblings were eager to encourage him.

“You definitely got dad’s healing powers,” Alice, who was a few years older than Will, said. “He probably intended for you to be a doctor or something. It’s amazing.”

Little things like that were nice to hear, Will decided. He hated the snorts and muttered words from other campers when he went to the archery range with his cabin. He was the only child of Apollo that couldn’t hit a perfect bullseye.

“Honestly, it’s probably not even you,” Michael shrugged one day. “Doctors, I mean real  _ mortal _ doctors, take that do no harm oath, right? If you actually shot a bullseye with a real live target… I think that would be considered doing harm.”

“I just want to hit the target though,” Will complained. “I feel pathetic every time we go to practice archery. I’m the  _ only _ one who can’t shoot a bullseye.”

“Plenty of campers can’t hit the bullseye, Will. And you’ve gotten better.”

“Because the middle rings are great for a son of Apollo.”

Michael sighed. “At least you actually hit somewhere on the target. Remember when Percy shot Chiron’s tail?”

Unfortunately, it seemed that once things had calmed down, something bad came to stir up trouble.

It started with Chris Rodriguez. The unclaimed camper in the Hermes cabin. He disappeared one day without a trace.

There were whispers that he had gone to find Luke. Chris was unclaimed and, as most of the unclaimed demigods at camp could attest, he wasn’t happy about it.

It was worrying, but there was nothing to do about it. Most of the disappearances were unclaimed demigods, so Chiron had been keeping a close eye on the Hermes cabin according to Cecil.

If Will thought things couldn’t get any worse, he was wrong.

Thalia’s tree was poisoned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I feel so bad for Cecil. Like I NEVER considered the Hermes cabin reaction to Luke's betrayal. I mean, like I wrote Cecil's reaction, Luke was their older brother who they looked up to for years.
> 
> On to a more pleasing topic... the timeline. Provided for your reference and for your own stories if you want to know when stuff happened because I know I like having that when I write my stories.
> 
> TIMELINE
> 
> 1928:  
> January 28 - Nico di Angelo born  
> December 17 - Hazel Levesque born
> 
> 1993:  
> July 12 - Annabeth Chase born  
> August 18 - Percy Jackson born
> 
> 1994:  
> June 3 - Piper McLean born  
> June 5 - Frank Zhang born  
> July 1- Jason Grace born  
> July 7 - Leo Valdez born
> 
> 1995:  
> August 23 - Will Solace born
> 
> 2005:  
> August 23 - Will turns 10  
> December 21 - Winter Solstice; bolt and helm stolen
> 
> 2006:  
> May - Yancy field trip  
> June 10 - Percy is claimed  
> August 18 - Percy turns 13  
> August 23 - Will turns 11
> 
> 2007:  
> June 18 - arrive in Miami after Sea of Monsters; Thalia wakes  
> September - stolen chariot events  
> August 18 - Percy turns 14  
> August 23 - Will turns 12  
> December 14 - Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia meet Grover at Westover Hall
> 
> 2008:  
> January 28 - Nico turns 12/80  
> June 6 - Quest for Daedalus begins  
> June late - bronze dragon events  
> August 18 - Percy turns 15  
> August 23 - Will turns 13  
> December 25 - sword of Hades events
> 
> 2009:  
> January 28 - Nico turns 13/81  
> August 11 - blow up Princess Andromeda  
> August 16 - Battle of Manhattan begins  
> August 18 - Percy turns 16 and war ends  
> August 23 - Will turns 14  
> September 15 - Aeolus orders demigods be killed  
> September 18 - Hermes caduceus events  
> September - Nico discovers Camp Jupiter and brings Hazel there  
> October - Jason disappears from Camp Jupiter  
> November - Olympus closes  
> December 14 - Percy disappears from Camp Half-Blood  
> December 17 - Jason, Piper, Leo show up at Camp Half-Blood  
> December 18 - Quest for Hera begins  
> December 24 - Quest for Buford events
> 
> 2010:  
> January 28 - Nico turns 14/82  
> April - Percy wakes up at the Wolf House  
> June 19 - Percy arrives at Camp Jupiter  
> June 20 - Quest for Thanatos begins  
> June 24 - defeat the giants  
> June 25 - Argo II arrives at Camp Jupiter and the Quest of Seven begins  
> July 1 - save Athena Parthenos and the fall to Tartarus  
> July 18 - close the Doors of Death  
> August 1 - defeat Gaea  
> August 18 - Percy turns 17  
> August 23 - Will turns 15
> 
> 2011:  
> January - Hidden Oracle events (roughly the same time as Magnus Chase so possibly between the 13th and 21st since Annabeth is looking for Magnus at the beginning of Hidden Oracle)  
> January 28 - Nico turns 15/83 (Hidden Oracle occurs at some point before, probably mid-January)  
> February - Dark Prophecy events  
> March - Burning Maze events  
> April - Tyrants Tomb events  
> (*I think these months are correct for TOA series, but I'm not sure beyond Hidden Oracle which is January for sure and Tyrants Tomb because Lester's birthday is in April*)  
> June - Tower of Nero (*I believe the excerpt says six months have passed which would place this in June since it's the sixth month*)
> 
> And that's that! Hope this helps you! It sure helps me!


	7. The Barrier Breaks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Sea of Monsters
> 
> Happy Easter everyone!

Thalia’s tree had been one of the first things Will learned about upon arrival at Camp Half-Blood. It was the source of their protection. It was also a tragic story.

Percy was not the first child of the Big Three that broke the pact. Five years before Percy came to camp, a daughter of Zeus had been on her way to camp alongside two other campers and a satyr. Monsters caught up to them, and Thalia had stayed back to fight them off. She didn’t survive the encounter, so Zeus turned his daughter into a tree that powered the borders around camp. The borders prevented monsters from entering.

Now her tree was poisoned.

“I bet it was Luke,” Cecil said bitterly. “He’s just the jerk to do it. He betrayed us. He rebelled against the gods. Why not poison Zeus’ daughter while he’s at it?”

Cecil had _not_ gotten over his half-brother’s betrayal.

“I hate him,” Cecil continued. “I could have lived with him staying far away and maybe getting eaten by a hellhound. But no. He just comes back to poison the source of our protection. I hate him.”

The borders were indeed poisoned as they found out shortly. A large congregation of demigods was bound to attract monsters, but the borders had kept their scents from getting out. Now, with the border weakened, monsters attempted to get through the barriers.

Clarisse had started up border patrol. All of the Ares kids, a handful of Hephaestus kids, Michael and Lee, and a mix of the other cabins had volunteered immediately.

So far, the attacks had been manageable. Chiron spent hours pouring over books and in discussions with Will and his siblings, but no one could identify the poison used.

Finally, Mr. D had delivered the message that Chiron was to be dismissed from Camp Half-Blood for not preventing Thalia from getting poisoned.

“They shouldn’t be getting rid of Chiron,” Lee said furiously that night. “How are we supposed to save Thalia’s tree now? Chiron’s older than us and  _ he’s _ never heard of this poison.”

“They need someone to blame,” Alice said. “Unfortunately, Chiron’s the only one they can blame and punish right now.”

Michael balled his fists. “Who cares about blame? Thalia was turned to a tree to save her from death! We can’t just let her die! We need Chiron to heal her.”

“Chiron  _ can’t _ heal her,” Will said quietly. “Maybe he’ll find the answer while he’s away?”

No one said anything. It was highly unlikely that Chiron could figure out a way to save Thalia. Especially now that he had been dismissed.

.

Thank the gods for Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. They appeared at the top of Half-Blood Hill with a cyclops just as things were starting to go really bad.

Giant, fire-breathing bronze bulls had begun attacking the camp. Clarisse tried leading the border patrol as best as she could, but the patrol was running around in a panic.

One screamed and waved his arms as he ran in circles, the horsehair plume on his helmet blazing like a fiery Mohawk. Clarisse’s own armor was charred. She was fighting with a broken spear shaft, the other end embedded uselessly in the metal joint of one bull’s shoulder.

When it seemed like they were going to go out in a fiery blaze, the cyclops came barreling down the hill towards the bulls.

“Percy needs help!”

The bull blew fire right at him.

“Tyson!” Percy yelled.

But when the fire went away, the cyclops, Tyson, was fine.

Tyson balled his fists and slammed them into the bull’s face. “BAD COW!”

His fists made a crater where the bronze bull’s snout used to be. Two small columns of flame shot out of its ears. Tyson hit it again, and the bronze crumpled under his hands like aluminum foil. The bull’s face now looked like a sock puppet pulled inside out.

“Down!” Tyson yelled.

The bull staggered and fell on its back. Its legs moved feebly in the air, steam coming out of its ruined head in odd places.

Oh yeah, Will thought. This was already shaping up to be an eventful year.

.

The infirmary was filled with campers who had varying degrees of burns and Apollo kids rushing around.

“Owwww,” Travis Stoll grumbled as Will inspected the burn on his arm.

Will handed him a square of ambrosia. “First degree burn. Not even that bad.”

Connor snickered. “Told you. Stop being a baby.”

“You try getting burned by those things!”

Will grinned and moved on to the others waiting for help. First degree burns were the most common, but there were a handful of second degree burns and one or two with third degree burns.

When all the campers had been healed and sent on their way (aside from the two with third degree burns who were forced to stay overnight), Lee came to find Will.

“Dinner,” he said tiredly.

“Finally,” Will mumbled. “We’re overworked, you know. Should train some other campers. Silena’s nice. Aphrodite’s kids could totally help out.”

“Silena’s okay, but I don’t want my doctors flirting with patients,” Lee scowled. “A bunch of them are terrible flirts.”

The two walked down to the dining pavilion and plopped down in their seats at Apollo table. Everyone looked as tired as Will felt.

“We can’t keep doing this forever,” Alice sighed. “People defend the borders, they get hurt, we heal them, rinse and repeat.”

“Not like Mr. D will do anything about it,” Michael rolled his eyes. “Or Tantalus.”

Tantalus was the new replacement for Chiron who left that afternoon. Why the gods decided to grace Camp with his presence was unknown, but so far in the short time he had been at Camp, no one liked him.

“Who invited that?” Alice murmured.

Will glanced up and immediately shrunk down. Alice was looking at Percy Jackson and Tyson, the cyclops that had helped defeat the bulls. From the look of it, Percy had heard what she said, and Percy didn’t like it. The son of Poseidon’s glare was enough to halt all conversation at the Apollo table and make Will and his siblings sit still.

“That was mean,” Will said quietly.

Alice looked uncomfortable. “Okay. Maybe, but it’s a cyclops. I… it’s just that cyclopes are monsters. We fight monsters, not invite them into our camp. We have enough trouble as it is.”

“He’s friends with Percy Jackson,” Will pointed out. “Shouldn’t that be enough to tell you Tyson’s a good guy?”

“Tyson?” Lee blinked. “How’d you find out it’s name?”

“Percy yelled his name when the bull blew fire at Tyson,” Will explained.

Michael stared up at the front where Percy was standing with Tyson and talking to Mr. D and Tantalus. “Hey, Alice? Do you think… cyclopes are usually kids of gods and nature spirits, right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Well-”

A conch horn sounded, cutting off Michael’s reply.

“Yes, well,” Tantalus said, once the talking had died down. “Another fine meal! Or so I am told.” As he spoke, he inched his hand toward his refilled dinner plate, as if maybe the food wouldn’t notice what he was doing, but it did. It shot away down the table as soon as he got within six inches.

“And here on my first day of authority,” he continued, “I’d like to say what a pleasant form of punishment it is to be here. Over the course of the summer, I hope to torture, er, interact with each and every one of you children. You all look good enough to eat.”

Dionysus clapped politely, leading to some halfhearted applause from the satyrs. Tyson was still standing at the head table, looking uncomfortable, but every time he tried to scoot out of the limelight, Tantalus pulled him back.

“And now some changes!” Tantalus gave the campers a crooked smile. “We are reinstituting the chariot races!”

“Is he insane?” Lee hissed angrily.

Michael looked at him. “You really have to ask that?”

“Now I know,” Tantalus continued, raising his voice, “that these races were discontinued some years ago due to, ah, technical problems.”

“Three deaths and twenty-six mutilations,” Michael called.

“Technical problems,” Alice rolled her eyes. “Gods, he really is trying to kill us.”

“Yes, yes!” Tantalus said. “But I know that you will all join me in welcoming the return of this camp tradition. Golden laurels will go to the winning charioteers each month. Teams may register in the morning! The first race will be held in three days time. We will release you from most of your regular activities to prepare your chariots and choose your horses. Oh, and did I mention, the victorious team’s cabin will have no chores for the month in which they win?”

“Exemption from chores isn’t worth dying over,” Will frowned. “Just think of all the extra injuries we’ll have to deal with!”

“But we’d have more time to deal with those injuries,” Alice said looking thoughtful.

Will groaned. “Alice! People have died! This is serious!”

“But, sir!” Clarisse said. She looked nervous, but she stood up to speak from the Ares table. “What about patrol duty? I mean, if we drop everything to ready our chariots—”

“Ah, the hero of the day,” Tantalus exclaimed. “Brave Clarisse, who single-handedly bested the bronze bulls!”

Clarisse blinked, then blushed. “Um, I didn’t—”

“And modest, too.” Tantalus grinned. “Not to worry, my dear! This is a summer camp. We are here to enjoy ourselves, yes?”

“But the tree—”

“And now,” Tantalus said, as several of Clarisse’s cabin mates pulled her back into her seat, “before we proceed to the campfire and sing-along, one slight housekeeping issue. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase have seen fit, for some reason, to bring this here.” Tantalus waved a hand toward Tyson.

“He saved the camp,” Will said under his breath.

Uneasy murmuring spread among the campers. A lot of sideways looks were thrown at Percy who looked like he could murder Tantalus right then and there.

“Now, of course,” Tantalus said, “Cyclopes have a reputation for being bloodthirsty monsters with a very small brain capacity. Under normal circumstances, I would release this beast into the woods and have you hunt it down with torches and pointed sticks. But who knows? Perhaps this Cyclops is not as horrible as most of its brethren. Until it proves worthy of destruction, we need a place to keep it! I’ve thought about the stables, but that will make the horses nervous. Hermes’s cabin, possibly?”

Silence at the Hermes table. Travis and Connor Stoll developed a sudden interest in the tablecloth.

“Come now,” Tantalus chided. “The monster may be able to do some menial chores. Any suggestions as to where such a beast should be kenneled?”

Suddenly everybody gasped.

Tantalus scooted away from Tyson in surprise.

Will gapped at the green light above Tyson’s head. Swirling over Tyson was a glowing green trident—the same symbol that had appeared above Percy Jackson the day Poseidon had claimed him as his son.

There was a moment of awed silence. Then laughter broke out, led by Tantalus.

“Well! I think we know where to put the beast now. By the gods, I can see the family resemblance!”

Will didn’t laugh. He didn’t see what was so funny about the situation. Percy looked shell shocked, even embarrassed. Besides, Tyson had helped save the camp hours earlier. The least Tantalus could do was acknowledge that. But he didn’t. He just laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From what I think of Will, he just isn't bothered by the stereotypes or expectations others have about other people, so I don't think he'd be all that bothered by Tyson after witnessing him defend the camp. Had Tyson just shown up and not needed to help defend the camp, there might have been a little uncertainty because all Will has seen so far is that cyclopes are monsters that hurt half-bloods.
> 
> Anyway, Happy Easter! Hope you all had a great day and are staying safe! Eat lots of candy and brush your teeth and all that.


	8. Chariot Races

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Sea of Monsters

“Since the new activities director has decided to be so foolishly stupid, I’m going to need all of you to be on standby with ambrosia and nectar,” Lee announced that night.

Alice glanced around. “Which of us are going to be in the chariot?”

Lee gave them all a sheepish smile. “Uh, I was hoping Kayla would drive and I’ll defend?”

Kayla, who was about a year and a half older than Will, stared at Lee in disbelief. “You want me to drive that death trap?”

“Yes?”

She huffed. “Why?”

“Because you’re the best with the horses,” Lee explained. “Let’s be honest, Percy and Annabeth are probably working together and their parents  _ created _ the horse and chariot. We need all the advantages we can get, so if you’re the best with horses, then I want you steering them.”

“Fine,” Kayla agreed.

“Wait a minute,” Will protested. “You’re seriously going to go along with this?”

“It’s not like we have a choice,” Alice rolled her eyes.

Will frowned. “Of course we have a choice! You just want out of chores. I love working in the infirmary, but I’d rather not have to deal with all the injuries from the border patrol  _ AND _ the injuries from the chariot races.” He looked at Lee pleadingly. “Michael said it. People died. It’s too dangerous.”

“I don’t want to know what Tantalus will do if we don’t participate,” Lee said finally. “Kayla and I will do it. You guys just be prepared.”

.

Percy Jackson was in a bad mood. He and Annabeth Chase had gotten into a fight, and now they were working on their own separate chariots. Plus, most of the camp kept teasing him about his new brother.

The Hephaestus cabin, mostly Beckendorf, had no problem with Tyson at least. Their dad worked with cyclopes all the time. They probably saw this as an opportunity to be more like him.

The problem came when sword fighting practice came around.

According to the whole camp, Percy Jackson was the best swordsman in the last hundred years except maybe Luke. Given that Percy was angry with the campers’ treatment of his brother and him plus his recent fight with Annabeth, it was no surprise when Will and his siblings got their butts thoughoughly kicked.

Percy said nothing the whole time, save a few grunts and yells. His green eyes burned holes in the Apollo campers. He struck powerfully and most fights were over in a few seconds.

Will didn’t even attempt to fight him. He just went around, helping his siblings bandage themselves up before they threw themselves back into practice.

He was glad when the practice time ended. Until Percy followed them to archery class.

It was nice not to be the worst archer, Will admitted, but watching Percy attempt to hit his target was painful. Emotionally  _ and _ physically. Depending on whether or not you were dodging the arrows Percy somehow shot at you even though he wasn’t facing you.

Evenings varied from day to day. Michael and Lee would disappear off to do border patrol sometimes, even though Tantalus had insisted they forget trying to protect camp.

Overall, it had not been a fun few days.

.

The morning of the race was hot and humid. Fog lay low on the ground like sauna steam. Millions of birds were roosting in the trees—fat gray-and-white pigeons, except they didn’t coo like regular pigeons. They made this annoying metallic screeching sound like a submarine radar.

The racetrack had been built in a grassy field between the archery range and the woods. Hephaestus’s cabin had used the bronze bulls, which were completely tame since they’d had their heads smashed in, to plow an oval track in a matter of minutes.

There were rows of stone steps for the spectators— Tantalus, the satyrs, a few dryads, and all of the campers who weren’t participating. Mr. D didn’t show. He never got up before ten o’clock.

“Right!” Tantalus announced as the teams began to assemble. A naiad had brought him a big platter of pastries, and as Tantalus spoke, his right hand chased a chocolate éclair across the judge’s table. “You all know the rules. A quarter-mile track. Twice around to win. Two horses per chariot. Each team will consist of a driver and a fighter. Weapons are allowed. Dirty tricks are expected. But try not to kill anybody!” Tantalus smiled at us like we were all naughty children. “Any killing will result in harsh punishment. No s’mores at the campfire for a week! Now ready your chariots!”

Will didn't think that was a very harsh punishment.

Beckendorf led the Hephaestus team onto the track. They had a sweet ride made of bronze and iron—even the horses, which were magical automatons like the Colchis bulls. Will had no doubt that their chariot had all kinds of mechanical traps and more fancy options than a fully loaded Maserati.

The Ares chariot was bloodred, and pulled by two grisly horse skeletons. Clarisse climbed aboard with a batch of javelins, spiked balls, caltrops, and a bunch of other nasty toys.

Will looked at the Apollo chariot admirably. It was completely gold and pulled by two palomino horses that Kayla had managed to get.

“I had to promise not to shoot regular pointed arrows,” Lee said in disappointment.

“Good,” Will muttered.

Lee placed a hand over his heart. “Will! You wound me! You act like I would purposefully kill someone with my arrows.”

“It  _ is _ a moving chariot.”

“Oh ye of little faith.”

Hermes’s chariot was green and kind of old-looking, as if it hadn’t been out of the garage in years. It didn’t look like anything special, but it was manned by the Stoll brothers. That was probably dangerous enough in itself.

The conch horn sounded.

“Charioteers!” Tantalus called. “To your mark!”

“Alice?” Will asked hesitantly, staring at the trees where the pigeons were.

“Hmm?”

“Do those pigeons look funny to you?”

Alice glanced at the treeline. “They’re just pigeons, Will. I think you’re overreacting. The chariot race is messing with you. Just relax, okay? Seriously. No one’s going to get hurt.”

Will crossed his arms. The pigeons were really making him nervous with all the crazy screeching. Their beaks glinted strangely. Their eyes seemed shinier than regular birds.

As the chariots lined up, more shiny-eyed pigeons gathered in the woods. Finally the other campers seemed to take notice of the loud screeches coming from the trees. Tantalus didn’t look concerned, but he did have to speak up to be heard over the noise.

“Charioteers!” he shouted. “Attend your mark!”

He waved his hand and the starting signal dropped. The chariots roared to life. Hooves thundered against the dirt. The crowd cheered.

“NO!” Alice groaned as the Hermes chariot rammed into the Apollo chariot.

Kayla and Lee were thrown to the ground. They got up, but they looked furious. When the Hermes chariot flipped over only a few seconds later, Kayla let out a whoop.

“GOOD HORSES!” she shouted.

That’s when things started to get worse.

The pigeons had risen from the trees. They were spiraling like a huge tornado, heading toward the track.

The screaming started when the pigeons swarmed towards the stands—thousands of them dive-bombing the spectators in the stands, attacking the other chariots.

“What the-”

“Archers!” Michael shouted.

Will struggled to aim his bow, but the birds were on top of them. It wasn’t safe for him or his siblings to shoot with the birds so close to the other campers.

The birds were slashing at any bit of exposed flesh, driving everyone into a panic. Now that the birds were closer, it was clear they weren’t normal pigeons. Their eyes were beady and evil-looking. Their beaks were made of bronze and they must’ve been razor sharp.

“Stymphalian birds,” Alice cursed. “Everyone out of the stands!”

Will could hear the Athena campers calling for shields, but it was barely heard over the general chaos.

“Everything’s under control! Not to worry!” Tantalus yelled.

“I’m going to kill him,” Lee said, appearing at Will’s side.

Will jumped. “What do we do?”

Lee glanced around. “Try and get the badly wounded out of here. We can’t really fight the birds. They’re too close to us.”

Suddenly, a truly horrible noise started up. Will felt a flicker of hope.

“Chiron?” he asked hopefully.

It wasn’t the centaur, but it  _ was _ Percy and Annabeth armed with Chiron’s stereo and Dean Martin music. The air was filled with violins and a bunch of guys moaning in Italian.

The demon pigeons went nuts. They started flying in circles, running into each other like they wanted to bash their own brains out. Then they abandoned the track altogether and flew skyward in a huge dark wave.

“Now!” shouted Annabeth. “Archers!”

“Thank the gods for Chiron's music. Never thought I'd say those words,” Lee said in relief as he notched six arrows and let them fly. Within minutes, the ground was littered with dead bronze-beaked pigeons, and the survivors were a distant trail of smoke on the horizon.

The camp was saved, but the wreckage wasn’t pretty. Most of the chariots had been completely destroyed. Almost everyone was wounded, bleeding from multiple bird pecks. The kids from Aphrodite’s cabin were screaming because their hairdos had been ruined and their clothes pooped on.

“Bravo!” Tantalus said, but he wasn’t looking at Percy or Annabeth. “We have our first winner!” He walked to the finish line and awarded the golden laurels for the race to a stunned-looking Clarisse. Then he turned to Percy and Annabeth. “And now to punish the troublemakers who disrupted this race.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I sat around reading incomplete reading the books fanfics today... Probably should have been working on finishing this story, but I mean...
> 
> Anyway, I made a book list for my birthday. You would be surprised at the number of times "by Rick Riordan" appears on that list. It's like thirty some books and his name is next to like twenty of them. Then again, I need to get all the Magnus Chase books and the rest of the Kane Chronicles plus the little supplemental texts. Okay, so maybe it's more like half of the books are by him, but still.
> 
> Also, I will be posting a lil oneshot soon, so keep an eye out for that. It's got Nico if that entices anyone.


	9. Quest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Sea of Monsters

That night at the campfire, they led the sing-along. They tried to get everybody’s spirits up, but it wasn’t easy after that afternoon’s bird attack. The campers all sat around a semicircle of stone steps, singing halfheartedly and watching the bonfire blaze while Will’s siblings strummed their guitars and picked their lyres. They did all the standard camp numbers: “Down by the Aegean,” “I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandpa,” “This Land is Minos’s Land.”

The bonfire was enchanted, so the louder you sang, the higher it rose, changing color and heat with the mood of the crowd. On a good night, it could be twenty feet high, bright  purple, and so hot the whole front row’s marshmallows burst into the flames. Tonight, the fire was only five feet high, barely warm, and the flames were the color of lint.

Dionysus left early. After suffering through a few songs, he muttered something about how even pinochle with Chiron had been more exciting than this. Then he gave Tantalus a distasteful look and headed back toward the Big House.

_ At least  _ he _ dislikes Tantalus a little bit _ , Will sighed.

When the last song was over, Tantalus said, “Well, that was lovely!”

He came forward with a toasted marshmallow on a stick and tried to pluck it off, real casual-like. But before he could touch it, the marshmallow flew off the stick. Tantalus made a wild grab, but the marshmallow committed suicide, diving into the flames.

Tantalus turned back toward us, smiling coldly. “Now then! Some announcements about tomorrow’s schedule.”

“Sir,” Percy Jackson interrupted.

Tantalus’s eye twitched. “Our kitchen boy has something to say?”

Some of the Ares campers snickered. Percy glanced at Annabeth who stood up with him.

Percy said, “We have an idea to save the camp.”

Silence fell across the campers. Will’s sat up straight. The campfire flared bright yellow. Mood improvement.

“Indeed,” Tantalus said blandly. “Well, if it has anything to do with chariots—”

“The Golden Fleece,” Percy said. “We know where it is.”

The flames burned orange. Before Tantalus could stop him, Percy blurted out a dream about Grover and Polyphemus’s island. Annabeth stepped in and reminded everybody what the Fleece could do.

“The Fleece can save the camp,” she concluded. “I’m certain of it.”

The Golden Fleece… It had incredible healing properties. Will started to feel a little envious. Of course Percy and Annabeth would go search for it, but Apollo was the god of healing. Why couldn’t one of  _ his  _ kids go on the quest?

“Nonsense,” said Tantalus. “We don’t need saving.”

Everybody stared at him until Tantalus started looking uncomfortable.

“Besides,” he added quickly, “the Sea of Monsters? That’s hardly an exact location. You wouldn’t even know where to look.”

“Yes, I would,” Percy said defiantly. “30, 31, 75, 12,” he said.

“Ooo-kay,” Tantalus said. “Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers.”

“They’re sailing coordinates,” Percy snapped. “Latitude and longitude. I, uh, learned about it in social studies.”

Even Annabeth looked impressed. “30 degrees, 31 minutes north, 75 degrees, 12 minutes west. He’s right! The Gray Sisters gave us those coordinates. That’d be somewhere in the Atlantic, off the coast of Florida. The Sea of Monsters. We need a quest!”

“Wait just a minute,” Tantalus said.

But the campers took up the chant. “We need a quest! We need a quest!”

Will grinned. “We need a quest! We need a quest!” he joined in.

The flames rose higher.

“It isn’t necessary!” Tantalus insisted.

“WE NEED A QUEST! WE NEED A QUEST!”

“Fine!” Tantalus shouted, his eyes blazing with anger. “You brats want me to assign a quest?”

“YES!”

“Very well,” he agreed. “I shall authorize a champion to undertake this perilous journey, to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back to camp. Or die trying. I will allow our champion to consult the Oracle!” Tantalus announced. “And choose two companions for the journey. And I think the choice of champion is obvious.”

Will’s grin faltered. Was Tantalus actually thinking of Lee or Michael? Surely not? He reviewed the last few moments in his head. Then he almost facepalmed. Percy had given up the coordinates of the Golden Fleece's location. Tantalus could assign whoever he wanted. Whoever Tantalus wanted was not likely to be Percy, Annabeth, or any of Will's siblings.

“The champion should be one who has earned the camp’s respect, who has proven resourceful in the chariot races and courageous in the defense of the camp. You shall lead this quest . . . Clarisse!”

The fire flickered a thousand different colors. The Ares cabin started stomping and cheering, “CLARISSE! CLARISSE!”

Clarisse stood up, looking stunned. Then she swallowed, and her chest swelled with pride. “I accept the quest!”

“Wait!” Percy shouted. “Grover is my friend. The dream came to me.”

“Sit down!” yelled one of the Ares campers. “You had your chance last summer!”

“Yeah, he just wants to be in the spotlight again!” another said.

“He just wants to save his friend,” Will muttered. “And the camp.”

“I accept the quest!” Clarisse repeated. “I, Clarisse, daughter of Ares, will save the camp!”

The Ares campers cheered even louder. Annabeth protested, and the other Athena campers joined in. Everybody else started taking sides—shouting and arguing and throwing marshmallows. For a second, Will felt like he was back in last summer when cabins were picking Zeus or Poseidon.

“Silence you brats!” Tantalus shouted. “Sit down!” he ordered. “And I will tell you a ghost story.”

Will didn’t know what Tantalus thought a ghost story was because Will was pretty sure the story Tantalus told them was his own life story. If his goal was to successfully gross everyone out, he succeeded.

Tantalus told them that no one would be allowed to leave the camp except for Clarisse since she had permission. Apparently, Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Tyson took that as a challenge because the next morning, they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really much to say about this one. Except, ya know, Percy totally gave up his leverage when he blurted the coordinates. Ah, well, it turned out okay, didn't it?
> 
> Um, I guess I can say that the one-shot is up. It's called The Ghost King and it's a crossover fic. I kinda liked writing it so I might alternate between writing and posting this and writing and posting some more in that sort of universe or whatever.


	10. Casket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable excerpt from Sea of Monsters

Tantalus made sure the next few days were as torturous as promised. He was angry and upset that his three ‘problem campers’ had snuck out in the middle of the night. Of course he took it out on the ones remaining.

Clarisse had taken off early in the morning. She hadn’t invited two others to join her, and her face was pale every time someone asked her.

“I don’t think her quest is going to go very well,” Cecil sighed. “Kinda a trend now isn’t it? Castellan’s quest went sour, Percy’s quest revealed that Castellan betrayed us, Clarisse’s quest is probably going to reveal that Castellan kidnapped Percy, Annabeth, and that cyclops.”

“His name is Tyson,” Will corrected. “And don’t be so down. Clarisse will get the Fleece and Thalia’s tree will be saved.”

“Or Clarisse will die and that’s why she hates her prophecy,” Cecil muttered.

.

_ He was in a bathroom. Will glanced around. He spotted Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson listening at the door. _

_ “Yesss,” a reptilian voice said. “He drawssss them in. Ssssoon we will be sssstrong.” _

_ Annabeth looked at Percy. “We have to get out of here.” _

_ “You think I want to be in the girls’ restroom?” _

_ “I mean the ship, Percy! We have to get off the ship!” _

_ “Smells bad,” Tyson agreed. “And dogs eat all the eggs. Annabeth is right. We must leave the restroom and ship.” _

_ “-only a matter of time,” another voice, a very familiar voice, said. “Don’t push me Agrius!” _

_ Will clenched his fists in anger. Luke. _

_ “I’m not pushing you! I’m just saying, if this gamble doesn’t pay off-” _

_ “It’ll pay off,” Luke snapped. “They’ll take the bait. Now, come, we’ve got to get to the admiralty suite and check on the casket.” _

_ Casket? What casket? Will wanted to ask. What gamble? _

.

“Hey!”

Will blinked and opened his eyes. Kayla peered down at him.

“What?” he asked.

“You were saying something about a casket,” Kayla said with a frown. “You okay?”

Will let out a breath and turned over away from her. “Bad dream. It’s fine.”

“About?”

“About a casket.”

Kayla sighed. “It sounded pretty bad, Will. Was it a… a demigod dream?”

Will rolled back over. “Maybe.”

“Want to talk about it?”

He sat up and looked around at his siblings sleeping peacefully. “Not here. Not now. In the morning, Kayla. Please?”

Kayla nodded slowly, but returned to her bed.

In the morning, Will was abruptly dragged out of bed and down to a secluded spot on the beach.

“Okay. Spill.”

Will bit his lip. “You can’t say a word about this to anyone, Kayla. Promise?”

“Cross my heart,” Kayla said.

“Last summer when Percy got stung by the pit scorpion, I overheard him, Annabeth, and Chiron talking,” Will began. “Well, I kinda eavesdropped, but I haven’t told anyone until now. Percy told Chiron that… that Luke was working for Kronos.”

The name sent a chill across the beach. Wind rustled at the trees.

Kayla’s eyes widened. “Kronos? Will, that’s… no way. Luke can’t be…”

“He is,” Will said firmly. “But my dream… last night… I was in this bathroom. I guess it was on a ship. Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson were listening to this conversation. Luke’s on that ship and he has a casket somewhere. I don’t know  _ who _ is in it or  _ why _ he needs it, but I feel like I should be doing something.” Will slumped his shoulders. “I don’t know what to do, Kayla. I should have told Chiron, and now he’s gone.”

Kayla and Will stood on the beach in silence.

“My father always tells me to follow my arrow where it points,” Kayla finally said. “It means you see something through till the end. I’ll help you try to find out more about this casket. But we should tell someone. Lee at least.”

“No!” Will said frantically. “Chiron didn’t tell anyone for a reason. I don’t think he wants them freaking out.”

“I take it telling an Athena kid is out of the question too.”

“Yeah.”

.

“Are you avoiding me?”

Will jumped and slammed his book shut. “What?”

Cecil crossed his arms. “You haven’t talked to me since yesterday. And that last conversation could be considered an argument if you tilt your head a certain way. So are you avoiding me?”

“Just busy,” Will shrugged.

“Reading about Greek funeral rites,” Cecil noted. “Fun.”

“Well, actually, the subject is pretty interesting,” Will said with a small smile. “But I guess I could spare a moment for my friend.”

“Your friend would like to know why you are looking into such a morbid topic,” Cecil said flatly. “Is it about what I said yesterday? Because-”

“No,” Will interrupted. “Kayla and I are just doing some research for a project of ours.”

“But you don’t even go to school,” Cecil complained.

“Hey, Will? I think I know what Luke’s-” Kayla cut off when she saw Cecil. “Hey, Cecil.”

Cecil frowned. “What’s this about Castellan?”

“Nothing,” Kayla said.

“Who?” Will asked.

“You’re hiding something,” Cecil stated. “Something about my brother. What is it?”

Kayla bit her lip. “Cecil-”

“He’s got a casket for something,” Will blurted.

Kayla facepalmed. “Will!”

“I’m sorry!” Will sighed. “I don’t lie very well.”

Kayla blew her hair out of her face. “Alright. Cecil, you can’t tell anyone yet.”

“Last night I had a dream,” Will explained. “Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson were in this boat and they overheard something about Luke having a casket. Kayla and I have been looking into it all day.”

“He killed someone?” Cecil asked, horrified.

“Worse,” Kayla said grimly. “I’m not sure without a description of the casket itself, but I think he’s using the casket to pull pieces of Kronos out of Tartarus.”

No. That was not good. Luke resurrecting Kronos was probably the worst thing that could happen.

Cecil stood still. “I… I’m going to kill him.”

“Don’t tell anyone,” Will pleaded.

“Why? Don’t you think everyone has the right to know what a world class jerk Luke is? And if he’s trying to bring the  _ Titan Lord _ back to life, we should be prepared!”

“Chiron knew,” Will hissed. “He didn’t tell us for a reason.”

“Well it’s a stupid reason whatever it is.”

“Please, Cecil.”

Cecil crossed his arms. “Fine. I won’t say anything. Yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As for Kayla's archery inspirational quote... I actually googled archery inspirational quotes. That was my interpretation, but I think I got the gist of it pretty well.


	11. The Truth is Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Sea of Monsters

When the Iris Message showed up, no one knew what to think.

They had been trying to enjoy dinner as peacefully as possible with Mr. D and Tantalus around when a rainbow shimmered into existence.

“-time for heroics, Percy,” Luke’s voice said. “Drop your puny little sword, or I’ll have you killed sooner rather than later.”

Will glanced at the Hermes table to see they had all gone still at the sound of their half-brother’s voice.

“Who poisoned Thalia’s tree, Luke?” Percy asked.

“I did, of course,” Luke snarled. “I already told you that. I used elder python venom, straight from the depths of Tartarus.”

Michael’s mouth dropped open.

“Chiron had nothing to do with it?” Percy asked.

“Ha! You know he would never do that. The old fool wouldn’t have the guts.”

“You call it guts? Betraying your friends? Endangering the whole camp?”

Luke raised his sword. “You don’t understand the half of it. I was going to let you take the Fleece… once I was done with it.”

_ What? _ Will blinked uncertainly. Why would Luke let Percy take the Fleece?

“You were going to heal Kronos,” Percy accused.

“Yes! The Fleece’s magic would’ve sped his mending process by tenfold. But you haven’t stopped us, Percy. You’ve only slowed us down a little.”

It was true then. Luke  _ was _ working for Kronos and he intended to raise him. Will could see the shocked looks turn to fear and anger.

“And so you poisoned the tree, you betrayed Thalia, you set us up—all to help Kronos destroy the gods.”

Luke gritted his teeth. “You know that! Why do you keep asking me?”

“Because I want everybody in the audience to hear you.”

“What audience?”

Will’s eyes went wide. Somehow Percy had set up an Iris Message without Luke’s knowledge. He had managed to clear Chiron’s name, figure out the real culprit behind the poison, and reveal Luke’s plan to the whole camp.

“Well,” said Mr. D dryly, “some unplanned dinner entertainment.”

“Mr. D, you heard him,” Percy said. “You all heard Luke. The poisoning of the tree wasn’t Chiron’s fault.”

Mr. D sighed. “I suppose not.”

“The Iris-message could be a trick,” Tantalus suggested, but his attention was mostly on his cheeseburger, which he was trying to corner with both hands.

“I fear not,” Mr. D said, looking with distaste at Tantalus. “It appears I shall have to reinstate Chiron as activities director. I suppose I do miss the old horse’s pinochle games.”

Tantalus grabbed the cheeseburger. It didn’t bolt away from him. He lifted it from the plate and stared at it in amazement, as if it were the largest diamond in the world.

“I got it!” he cackled.

“We are no longer in need of your services, Tantalus,” Mr. D announced.

Tantalus looked stunned. “What? But—”

“You may return to the Underworld. You are dismissed.”

“No! But—Nooooooooooo!”

As he dissolved into mist, his fingers clutched at the cheeseburger, trying to bring it to his mouth. But it was too late. He disappeared and the cheeseburger fell back onto its plate. The campers exploded into cheering.

“Yes!” Michael cheered.

Kayla and Lee shot Will twin grins of excitement.

Luke bellowed with rage. He slashed his sword through the fountain and the Iris-message dissolved.

“Luke said he’s trying to raise Kronos!” Malcolm Pace from Athena shouted loudly.

Shouts broke out to dampen the excitement of Tantalus leaving.

“Settle down!” Mr. D yelled. He glared at them all. “Settle down or I’ll turn your brains to mush.”

That got the intended effect of silencing all the campers.

.

Clarisse arrived with the Golden Fleece slung over her back. She was out of breath and cut up. Monsters were probably attracted to the Golden Fleece like bugs to a light.

Minutes later, Chiron and a bunch of centaurs rode up to the borders. Percy, Annabeth, Tyson, and Grover were with them.

Everybody looked weary and battered as they crowded around Thalia’s tree.

The moment Clarisse draped the Golden Fleece over the lowest bough, the moonlight seemed to brighten, turning from gray to liquid silver. A cool breeze rustled in the branches and rippled through the grass, all the way into the valley. Everything came into sharper focus—the glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the strawberry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach. Gradually, the needles on the pine tree started turning from brown to green.

Everybody cheered. It was happening slowly, but there could be no doubt—the Fleece’s magic was seeping into the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison.

Chiron ordered a twenty-four/seven guard duty on the hilltop, at least until he could find an appropriate monster to protect the Fleece. He said he’d place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away. Will didn't know they had a newspaper.

In the meantime, Clarisse was carried on her cabin mates’ shoulders down to the amphitheater, where she was honored with a laurel wreath and a lot of celebrating around the campfire. 

Everyone pretty much ignored Percy and Annabeth since acknowledging they snuck out of camp would mean they’d have to be expelled.

Later that night, they were roasting s’mores and listening to the Stoll brothers tell them a ghost story about an evil king who was eaten alive by demonic breakfast pastries.

The next morning, after the party ponies headed back to Florida, Chiron made a surprise announcement: the chariot races would go ahead as scheduled. They had all figured they were history now that Tantalus was gone, but completing them did feel like the right thing to do, especially now that Chiron was back and the camp was safe.

“You’ve got to be joking!” Will complained.

“We can win this time,” Alice said with a gleam in her eyes.

Kayla gave Lee a pointed look. “I’m not getting into that death trap again, Lee.”

Lee sighed. “I don’t even want to get in it. Travis and Connor did that on purpose, you know. I need a small break.”

“Like I said,” Will said smugly. “Not good for your health.”

“I’ll do it,” Michael grinned. “Will? You wanna drive?”

“No, thank you,” Will said in alarm. 

A new boy looked eager. “I’ll do it!” Austin, Will mentally reminded himself. Austin was his name. He was about the same age as Will, but he had only come to camp this year.

Michael cheered. “Alright! Austin and I got this!”

.

The morning of the chariot race, everyone kept glancing nervously toward the sky like they expected to see Stymphalian birds gathering. None did. It was a beautiful summer day with blue sky and plenty of sunshine. The camp had started to look the way it should look: the meadows were green and lush; the white columns gleamed on the Greek buildings; dryads played happily in the woods.

Will brought a large first aid bag down to the race much to the amusement of his siblings.

“No one’s going to die, Will,” Alice said, rolling her eyes.

“You said that last time and then the Stymphalian birds attacked,” Will pointed out. “I just want to be prepared.”

Chiron blew the starting signal. Percy and Annabeth’s chariot sped off ahead of the others with Apollo right behind them. Further back, Ares and Hermes were next to each other with Clarisse fighting Connor.

Will could see Austin yelling something to Percy and Annabeth.

Annabeth picked up a second javelin and threw it at Austin. Her aim was perfect. The javelin grew a heavy spear point just as it caught him in the chest, knocking him against Michael and sending them both toppling out of their chariot in a backward somersault.

Alice groaned. “Aw man.”

Percy and Annabeth ended up winning which was pretty much expected as soon as Will found out they had teamed up to race together  _ and _ they had Tyson modify the Athena cabin’s original chariot. The campers cheered their names, but Annabeth cut them off.

“Hold up! Listen! It wasn’t just us!” The crowd didn’t want to be quiet, but Annabeth made herself heard: “We couldn’t have done it without somebody else! We couldn’t have won this race or gotten the Fleece or saved Grover or anything! We owe our lives to Tyson, Percy’s…”

“Brother!” Percy said, loud enough for everybody to hear. “Tyson, my baby brother.”

Tyson blushed. The crowd cheered. Annabeth planted a kiss on Percy’s cheek. The roaring got a lot louder after that. The entire Athena cabin lifted Percy and Annabeth and Tyson onto their shoulders and carried them toward the winner’s platform, where Chiron was waiting to bestow the laurel wreaths.

Will marveled at the strength of the four campers carrying Tyson.

.

Of course the Fleece was too good to be true. Well, not exactly. It definitely healed Thalia’s tree, but it had the unintended effect of healing much more.

At dawn, Will joined the many campers running towards Half-Blood Hill. Whispers of a strange girl were floating around, and Will didn’t know what to make of them.

Chiron galloped up behind Percy and Grover. “Is it true?” he asked.

Grover could only nod, his expression dazed.

Percy opened his mouth, but Chiron grabbed him by the arm and lifted him onto his back. Together they rode up the hill, cutting between confused campers.

Will trailed behind them, pushing his way up the hill.

“-tricked us again,” Chiron was saying, “given himself another chance to control the prophecy.”

“What do you mean?” Percy asked.

“The Fleece,” Chiron explained. “The Fleece did its work too well.”

_ Did its work too well? _ Will wondered. Then he saw her.

There was a girl lying on the ground at the base of the tree. Something tugged at the back of Will’s mind.

Thalia had been turned into a tree to prevent her from dying. The Fleece could heal anything. Was it possible…?

“It healed the tree,” Chiron said, his voice ragged. “And poison was not the only thing it purged.”

Annabeth ran to Chiron. “It… she… just suddenly there…” Her eyes were streaming with tears.

“Percy, wait!” Chiron said sharply as Percy ran towards the girl on the ground.

The girl had short black hair and freckles across her nose. She was built like a long distance runner, lithe and strong, and she wore clothes that were somewhere between punk and Goth—a black T-shirt, black tattered jeans, and a leather jacket with buttons from a bunch of bands.

“It’s true,” Grover said, panting from his run up the hill. “I can’t believe…”

Nobody else came close to the girl.

“She needs nectar and ambrosia,” Percy said. He took her by the shoulders and lifted her into a sitting position, resting her head on his shoulder. “Come on!” he yelled. “What’s wrong with you people? Let’s get her to the Big House.”

No one moved, not even Chiron. They were all too stunned.

Then the girl took a shaky breath. She coughed and opened her eyes. Her irises were startlingly blue—electric blue.

“Who—”

“I’m Percy,” Percy said. “You’re safe now.”

“Strangest dream . . .”

“It’s okay.”

“Dying.”

“No,” Percy assured her. “You’re okay. What’s your name?”

“I am Thalia,” the girl said. “Daughter of Zeus.”

Her name sent a shiver down Will’s spine. Thalia, daughter of Zeus. A girl long thought gone. Now she was back alive. Was that why Luke was going to let Percy have the Fleece? So Thalia would live?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will's a smart cookie. I'd like to think that he could piece things together as well as Percy, so I am keeping in most of Percy's observations but adjusting them to fit Will. Because Percy is actually quite smart. He ain't book smart like Annabeth, no way. But he is really observant (except when it comes to girls, but then again, aren't we all when it comes to matters of love and crushes?) and he pieces things together quite well in the books. I feel like Will would be somewhere between Percy and Annabeth on the intelligence level. Plus, as a "doctor", Will has to be able to observe and draw conclusions pretty quick and they have to be spot on so he can save a life.
> 
> Also, I think I'm getting better at writing this as I go. I had a much easier time filling in the gaps of time Percy isn't actually present in Will's life for the Battle of Labyrinth (the actual battle, not the book), the Battle of Manhattan, and what I'm working on right now which is the beginning of the Lost Hero. As I'm posting some of these early chapters I'm cringing at the choppiness and time skips, but it's cool. Shows my growth I guess.
> 
> Anyway, I can't wait for the Titan's Curse chapters because that's when things start to get a little interesting. Meeting Nico for the first time... oh gods. What will Will think of him?


	12. Going Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable

“I’m going home to see my mom,” Will informed Lee in August. “I haven’t seen her in two years outside the rare video call. I want to see her even if it’s only a week.”

Lee bit his lip. “I mean, as long as you get permission from Chiron, I can’t stop you. But I can warn you. Texas is a long way from Camp. If you get in trouble, we can’t exactly rush down there to find you.”

Will shook his head. “I’ll be fine. It’s not like I’m Percy or… or Thalia. Apollo isn’t one of the Big Three.”

“True, but you can’t forget that you were brought here when you turned ten,” Lee reminded Will. “And that was because some monsters had found you. You have a stronger scent than most of us.”

“I want to see my mom again,” Will said hotly. “Just for my birthday. I’ve been at Camp for two years, Lee. I can handle myself, okay?”

“I’m just worried about you. You’re my brother, and I don’t want to see you get hurt. Especially now. If Luke or Kronos or any of his followers get their hands on you…”

“Yeah? Well, they won’t.”

Will knew that Lee wasn’t trying to keep Will here at Camp because he didn’t want him to leave. That Lee was only looking out for Will’s best interests, but it was hard not to feel angry when all Will wanted to do was actually physically see his mom.

Even as he walked out of the Apollo cabin and down to the beach in a huff, Will could feel his anger start to disappitate.

“You’re angry,” someone noted with some amusement.

Will turned to see Thalia leaning against a tree. He found it kind of amusing.

“Not angry,” Will mumbled. “Just… frustrated. I miss my mom.”

Thalia’s face turned stoney before she looked out at the water. “How long’s it been?”

“My tenth birthday,” Will answered. “Two years ago. I mean, Chiron lets us skype sometimes and she writes a lot of letters, but I want to see her.”

Thalia didn’t say anything for a while.

“What about your mom?” Will asked awkwardly. “Does she know you’re… not a tree?”

Thalia snorted. “Ah, yes. Not a tree. I imagine she might know. I’ve never been to the Underworld though, so who knows what kind of check in on your living relatives stuff they have down there.” She shook her head ruefully. “She died two years ago. Car crash. Drunk,” she added.

“Sorry,” Will said. “I wouldn’t have asked if I knew.”

“Not a real loss if you know what I mean,” Thalia shrugged. “Wasn’t the best mom. My dad’s probably been more of a help than she ever was and I’ve never met him.”

“Is it weird being here?” Will asked before he could stop himself. “Sorry. That was rude.”

“No, no. I like you,” Thalia grinned. “You remind me of someone I used to know. And to answer your question, yeah, it’s weird. I mean, for me it felt like no time had passed. Then I wake up to find out that my brother in all but blood has betrayed us, poisoned my tree too, and, oh yeah, Poseidon also broke the oath.” She got a faraway look in her eyes. “I know something bad is supposed to happen when I turn 16. Which will happen in a few months I think. I guess I’d like to not worry about that. Shove that crap onto Percy, but at the same time I want to be the one to do something about it.” She shrugged. “I have mixed feelings about the whole thing.” Thalia tilted her head. “Huh. Shoving all my problems on you, and I don’t know who you are.”

“Will Solace,” Will offered. “Son of Apollo.”

Thalia raised an eyebrow. “Apollo? So you’re the ones who do archery, healing, poetry, and music, right?”

“Healing only,” Will corrected. “My siblings do the other stuff. I’m not really that good. I mean, I’m good if you mean hitting somewhere on the target, but if you want to compare me to Michael or Lee or Kayla, then I suck. And apparently my voice sounds like a dying pegasus.”

“We all have our flaws,” Thalia sighed. “I wish my- I wish I had a brother here.” Her voice sounded sad. “I mean, Percy’s kinda cool, I guess, and it’s nice not being the only kid of the Big Three, but it’s not the same.”

They stood in silence for a few minutes.

“I hope you get to visit your mom, Will. She seems like she really cares about you.”

.

“Will!” Naomi squealed when Will got off the plane. She hugged Will tightly. “Oh you’ve gotten so big. How’s camp? Any friends? You aren’t doing anything dangerous, are you?”

Will grinned. “It’s good, mom. I missed you.”

Naomi led him to the car. “You’ll have to tell me all about it on your ride home.”

As they drove home, Will chatted happily with his mom about camp.

“Remember I told you about Percy Jackson? Him and Annabeth, she’s a daughter of Athena, and Percy’s brother Tyson who’s a cyclops helped Clarisse, she’s a daughter of Ares, find the Golden Fleece.”

Naomi’s eyes widened. “The Golden Fleece? I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised that it’s real. So it healed the tree you said got poisoned?”

Will nodded. “But it brought Thalia back too. She’s nice.”

“How’s it going in the infirmary?”

“Now that Chiron’s allowing the chariot races, there’s a lot more work to do,” Will scowled. He brightened though. “We did almost win a few times. Lee and Michael did one of those. Kayla refuses to get back in the chariot, and I don’t want to try. Alice and Michael  _ almost _ won once too, but Clarisse tore the wheel off,” he frowned. “Percy and Annabeth won the whole summer. Poseidon and Athena made horses and chariots, so that’s helpful for them.”

“At least you aren’t doing anything too dangerous,” Naomi muttered.

.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Will,” Will’s siblings sang loudly at dinner. “Happy birthday to you!”

Will’s face was red with embarrassment. He had returned to Camp that day, and even though it was the day after his birthday, his siblings still insisted on celebrating it. Publicly. Loudly.

“Twelve years old!” Michael said, wiping fake tears from his eyes. “I remember when you were only ten and so eager to help in the infirmary. Look at you now. The bossiest doctor we’ve got.”

“Shut up,” Will rolled his eyes.

Lee gave him a slice of cake. “You can eat cake, right? Because you eat  _ a lot _ of healthy food. Yell at us to eat healthier too,” he added under his breath.

Will took the cake. “Yes, I eat cake. It’s cake.” He ate a forkful. “Everything is okay in moderation, but excuse me if I have the meal proportions charts memorized. All doctors do.”

“No, they don’t,” Cecil said, dropping into the seat next to Will. “Ah, cake, yes please!”

Kayla gave him a strange look. “What are you doing at our table?”

“Eaingake,” Cecil said through a mouthful of said cake. “Wutsitookike?”

“He said ‘Eating cake. What’s it look like?’” Will translated.

Percy Jackson appeared next to Cecil. “Is that blue frosting?”

Cecil looked at Will and mouthed,  _ I told you he was crazy for blue food _ .

Percy looked at the cake suspiciously. “Why isn’t the whole thing blue? You should have dyed the cake blue too.”

“Why would we do that?” Michael asked in confusion.

“Because blue food is the best,” Percy said matter-of-factly. "Happy birthday!" He took a slice of cake back to the Poseidon table.

“He has a thing for blue food,” Cecil shrugged. “First night he was here he asked for cherry coke and then when he saw that it was magic he asked for blue cherry coke. I don’t really understand it, but whatever.” He stood up. “Thanks for the cake. Happy Birthday, Will.”

It was a nice surprise, Will admitted, but it hardly took his mind off the one thing that had been bothering him ever since Luke had betrayed them.

The disappearing campers. Otherwise known as turning their backs on the gods and betraying the camp. Will was all too aware of what was going on.

.

_ “I’ve been looking for you.” _

_ Will spun around to see a tall boy with brown hair and green eyes. He swallowed. “Who are you?” _

_ The boy twirled a gold sword. “A half-blood. Like you. Son of Apollo, right? You’re the one who can’t shoot.” _

_ “I can shoot,” Will said, hands inching towards his bow. “Who are you?” he repeated. _

_ “Alabaster Torrington,” the boy answered easily. “Son of Hecate, if you were wondering.” _

_ Will recognized the name. “You went missing. People were worried about you. You and Chris Rodriguez disappeared around the same time.” He ignored the little voice in the back of his head that reminded him Percy and Annabeth said something about Chris being on Luke’s evil cruise ship. _

_ “They were worried?” Alabaster snorted. “That’s cute. If they were so worried, where’s my mother’s cabin? That’s the thing about the gods. They only care about the Twelve Olympians, but all the rest can rot for all they care. Kronos has promised us recognition after he overthrows the gods.” His eyes gleamed. “He can also reward us now.” _

_ Will nocked an arrow. “Why should I care?” _

_ “Oh please. We both know you can’t hurt me with that,” Alabaster chuckled. “And you should care very much, Will. Kronos can give you the skill you wish for. Perfect bullseyes, right? As much skill as, if not more than your brothers Michael and Lee? He’ll grant you that much and more if you join our cause.” _

_ “I would never join him,” Will spat. “So what if I can’t get a bullseye? I’ve gotten better over the years and I’ve got two of the best brothers to teach me. I don’t need a genie. I won’t fight for Kronos.” _

_ “You don’t have to fight,” Alabaster said. “Kronos requires information too.” _

_ Will’s anger exploded. “You want me to spy on my family? I will never betray them like you betrayed them! You and Luke and Chris and all the others! You all had people who thought of you like family at camp, but you betrayed them. Go away. Now.” _

_ Alabaster shook his head. “You’ll regret this, Will.” _

.

Will blinked out of his memory. He hadn’t said a word about his encounter with Alabaster yet. As far as he was concerned, it didn’t happen. Nor did it matter. He would never betray his family like Alabaster did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda like the idea of Will and Thalia being friends or somewhat friends. And Nico in Blood of Olympus says that Will looks a lot like Jason, so I think Will would probably remind Thalia of Jason as well too.
> 
> Also, I originally had Ethan as the demigod to approach Will, but then I remembered that Ethan didn't join until Battle of the Labyrinth. So I went with Alabaster instead. We didn't see it with Percy because really it was just Luke either trying to kill him or trying to get him to join Kronos, but for all the demigods Kronos managed to bring over, there were definitely a few who refused his offer. Will would definitely be a target due to being able to promise better skill sets.
> 
> Oh thank goodness school has ended (cept for finals). I really, really, really am starting to go crazy with online schooling. I had a small project due today, well, a half hour ago at midnight. So naturally I did it all in maybe two hours cumulative? I dunno. But I had a nice lil breakdown between my breaks. It's fine. I mean, I have my little crying fest at some point every school year. Like when I'm doing math assignments for five hours because they assign three pages of problems and there's like fifty problems on a page. Or when they make us memorize a poem and I wait until the night before to memorize it. Breakdown, get the work done, and I'm cool. Ooooookay. Never thought I'd miss school, right?


	13. Nico di Angelo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Titans Curse

Will wondered if it was an accurate description to say the world was ending when he saw the bright thing heading straight for camp. He could’ve sworn there was lettering across the front, but with his dyslexia, he couldn’t make out the words.

The thing crashed into the canoe lake with a huge FLOOOOOOSH! Steam billowed up, sending several frightened naiads scrambling out of the water with half-woven wicker baskets.

A bus bobbed to the surface, along with a couple of capsized, half-melted canoes. Now that it wasn’t on its collision course, Will could just make out the words WARNING: STUDENT DRIVER on the front.

He watched in amazement as a completely dry Percy Jackson waded out of the water followed by soaking wet Thalia, Grover, a boy around Will’s age, and a bunch of girls in silver.

“We’ll work on the landing,” someone shouted.

Thalia tensed up. “Sure,” she said flatly.

“Thanks for the ride, Apollo!” Percy yelled cheerfully.

“That was so totally awesome!” the boy cheered. “Do you think we can go again?”

Percy looked resigned as he turned to face the boy.

“Whoa,” the boy gasped. “Is that a climbing wall?”

“Yeah,” Percy answered.

"Why is there lava pouring down it?"

"Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, have you met—"

"I know Chiron," one of the girls in silver, Zoe, said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way," Grover offered.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't"—he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking—"like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"

Zoe rolled her eyes. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. As they were leaving, one of the girls leaned over and whispered something in the boy’s ear. She looked like she expected an answer, but the boy just turned away.

"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

Instead of answering, he hopped back in the bus. "Later, Thalia," he called. "And, uh, be good!" He closed the doors and revved the engine. Will turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When he looked back, the lake was steaming. A red Maserati soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight.

“Hey,” Cecil said, joining Will in staring at the strange new arrival. “New kid?”

Will nodded. “My dad just dropped them off. In his sun chariot which looks like a car by the way.”

Cecil grinned. “Dude, that’s sweet. Think he’d ever let you drive it?”

“Considering Thalia just crash landed it in the lake, I don’t think he’ll let another half-blood step foot in it for years.”

.

Annabeth was missing. Something had gone wrong during the rescue of Bianca and Nico di Angelo as Will learned the names of the girl who had joined the Hunters and the boy who seemed like a ball of energy.

With Clarisse also missing in action on her own quest, Will itched to say something about the encounter he had last August with Alabaster Torrington. He almost went to Lee before dinner, but then Alice wandered over, and he just couldn’t bring himself to say anything in front of her.

After dinner, Chiron made the customary toast to the gods and formally welcomed the Hunters of Artemis. The clapping was pretty half-hearted. Then he announced the "good will" capture-the-flag game for tomorrow night, which got a lot better reception.

“What do you think about the new kids?” Austin asked.

Kayla glanced over at the Hermes table. “Aphrodite. They’re Italian and pretty good looking.”

“No way,” Alice said, shaking her head. “Grover called Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth for help because they were powerful. I say Demeter. She’s one of the oldest,  _ and _ the only one who has kids.” She frowned. “Well, the only one of the six oldest gods who are  _ supposed _ to have kids.”

“I say Poseidon,” Michael voted. “The di Angelos have the same dark hair Percy has.”

“You want me to believe Poseidon broke the oath three times?” Lee snorted. “No way. I say Hermes because Luke wanted to recruit them. He probably wants to get all his siblings on his side. That’s why Grover needed help. It doesn't have to be the oldest gods who have the powerful kids.”

“What do you think, Will?” Austin glanced at Will questioningly.

Will shrugged. “I don’t know. I doubt it’s Aphrodite. Can you see any daughter of Aphrodite swearing off boys?”

“Not all daughters of Aphrodite are boy crazy,” Michael pointed out. “I mean, there’s a lot that are, like Drew Tanaka, but Silena’s not. She’s all ‘there’s someone for everyone’ and all that.”

“True,” Lee agreed. “If the Hunters didn’t look down on children of Aphrodite and Silena didn’t have to give up dating, I bet she’d join.”

“Speaking of bets, Travis and Connor have already started one on how long it’ll take before Percy sneaks out to find Annabeth,” Kayla sighed. “I gave it three days.”

.

“Dude. Save. Me.”

Will rolled his eyes. “What now?”

Cecil frowned. “Nico freaking di Angelo. I didn’t think it was possible for anyone to annoy me. I mean, child of Hermes? We’re the most annoying people, right?”

“You do frequently annoy me.”

“See!” Cecil said triumphantly. “But, no. Nico di Angelo shows up and suddenly he thinks he can be all annoying. All he can talk about is his  _ stupid _ Mythomagic game and the questions! Will, he asks so many questions.”

“He can’t be that bad,” Will dismissed. “I think you’re overreacting, Cecil.”

“Am I?” Cecil muttered darkly.

He was not overreacting. Will insisted Cecil take him to meet Nico so he could see for himself if Nico was as annoying as Cecil said he was.

“Your dad’s Apollo?” Nico asked Will with wide eyes. “His sun chariot is so cool! Have you gotten to ride in it? Does he let you drive it? Does he really have plus 30 health and 2000 defense?”

Will stared at the young boy. “Um, what?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be at sword practice?” Cecil interrupted.

Nico’s face brightened. “I can’t wait. And I don’t have practice for ten more minutes. Do we really get to kill people?”

"No!" Cecil yelped. "No! Just... no."

“Good luck,” Will said awkwardly.

“Thanks!” Nico beamed.

When they left the Hermes cabin, Will turned to Cecil who had an ‘I told you so’ look on his face.

“Yeah, he’s probably the most annoying kid I’ve ever met,” Will agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh sweet young Nico who asks so many questions...


	14. A Prophecy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Titan's Curse

Capture the Flag was a small group. Percy, Thalia, Michael, Lee, Alice, Kayla, Austin, Cecil, Travis and Connor, Beckendorf from Hephaestus, Silena, Sherman Yang from Ares, Nico di Angelo, Wil, and a few others totaled about twenty campers. The Hunters had thirteen.

Capture the Flag games had been a new experience. Chiron had quite forcefully declared that Percy and Thalia were to remain on opposite teams. Whatever his reasoning was, nearly every game either Percy or Thalia or both were in the infirmary from excessive use of their powers which they were quite happy to use on each other.

How the world had survived so long  _ before _ the Big Three made their pact, Will had no idea. Two demigods with such power was destructive enough, he couldn’t even imagine multiple kids of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.

Though, he had yet to actually meet a child of Hades. Maybe Will would one day. Considering his brothers’ track records, Hades breaking the oath too wouldn’t have been very surprising.

Now however, Percy and Thalia would be co-captaining. Will couldn’t wait to see how destructive this match was.

"I'll show them 'love is worthless,'" Silena Beauregard grumbled as she strapped on her armor. "I'll pulverize them!"

Will had never heard Silena speak so violently.

Chiron's hoof thundered on the pavilion floor. "Heroes!" he called. "You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Blue team—Camp Half-Blood—shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis—red team—shall take the east woods. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed. To your positions!"

"Sweet," Will heard Nico whisper. "What kind of magic items? Do I get one?"

So help them if Nico di Angelo got his hands on a magic item.

Thalia said, "Blue team! Follow me!"

They cheered and followed. The flag was set at the top of Zeus’s Fist, a cluster of boulders in the middle of the west woods that looks like a huge fist sticking out of the ground. It was a good place to set the flag. The top boulder was twenty feet tall and really hard to climb, so the flag was clearly visible, like the rules said it had to be, and it didn't matter that the guards weren't allowed to stand within ten yards of it.

Nico, Beckendorf, Travis, and Connor were on guard duty. Maybe Percy and Thalia’s strategy was to annoy the Hunters into defeat.

"We'll send out a decoy to the left," Thalia told the team. "Silena, you lead that."

"Got it!"

"Take Laurel and Jason. They're good runners. Make a wide arc around the Hunters, attract as many as you can. I'll take the main raiding party around to the right and catch them by surprise."

Everybody nodded.

Thalia looked at Percy. "Anything to add, Percy?"

"Um, yeah. Keep sharp on defense. We've got four guards, two scouts. That's not much for a big forest. I'll be roving. Yell if you need help."

"And don't leave your post!" Thalia said.

"Unless you see a golden opportunity," Percy added.

Thalia scowled. "Just don't leave your post."

"Right, unless—"

"Percy!" She touched his arm and shocked him. "Sorry," Thalia said, though she didn't sound particularly sorry. "Now, is everybody clear?"

Everybody nodded. They broke into their groups. The horn sounded, and the game began.

.

The game ended pretty much how Will expected it to end considering the Hunter’s record.

"The Hunters win!" Chiron announced without pleasure. Then he muttered, "For the fifty-sixth time in a row."

"Perseus Jackson!" Thalia yelled, storming toward him. She was so mad that blue sparks flickered on her armor. Everybody cringed and backed up.

"What in the name of the gods were you THINKING?" she bellowed.

"I got the flag, Thalia!" he shook it in her face. "I saw a chance and I took it!"

"I WAS AT THEIR BASE!" Thalia yelled. "But the flag was gone. If you hadn't butted in, we would've won."

"You had too many on you!"

"Oh, so it's my fault?"

"I didn't say that."

"Argh!" Thalia pushed Percy.

He blew backward ten feet into the water. Some of the campers gasped. A couple of the Hunters stifled laughs.

"Sorry!" Thalia said, turning pale. "I didn't mean to—"

A wave erupted from the creek, blasting into Thalia's face and dousing her from head to toe.

Percy stood up. "Yeah," he growled. "I didn't mean to, either."

Thalia was breathing heavily.

"Enough!" Chiron ordered.

But Thalia held out her spear. "You want some, Seaweed Brain?"

"Bring it on, Pinecone Face!"

Percy raised Riptide. Thalia yelled and a blast of lightning came down from the sky, hit her spear like a lightning rod, and slammed into Percy’s chest. He sat down hard.

"Thalia!" Chiron said. "That is enough!"

Percy got to his feet and the entire creek rose up to swirl around him. Hundreds of gallons of

water in a massive icy funnel cloud.

"Percy!" Chiron pleaded.

“What the…” Cecil mumbled, staring at a withered mummy.

"This is impossible," Chiron said. "It... she has never left the attic. Never."

The Oracle, Will realized. His father’s Oracle’s host body. He knew, of course, that the Oracle was in the attic of the Big House, but he had never seen it till now. Mist curled around their feet, turning the snow a sickly shade of green.

No one dared move. Then her voice hissed inside Will’s head. Everyone else could hear it too judging by the shocked expressions.

_ I am the spirit of Delphi _ , the voice said. S _ peaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo,  _ _ slayer of the mighty Python. _ She turned to Zoe Nightshade, one of the Hunters.  _ Approach, Seeker, and ask. _

Zoe swallowed. "What must I do to help my goddess?"

The Oracle's mouth opened, and green mist poured out. A vague image of a mountain, and a girl standing at the barren peak. She was wrapped in chains, fettered to the rocks. She was kneeling, her hands raised as if to fend off an attacker, and it looked like she was in pain. The Oracle spoke:

_ Five shall go west to the goddess in chains, _

_ One shall be lost in the land without rain, _

_ The bane of Olympus shows the trail, _

_ Campers and Hunters combined prevail, _

_ The Titan's curse must one withstand, _

_ And one shall perish by a parent's hand. _

Then, the mist swirled and retreated like a great green serpent into the mummy's mouth. The Oracle sat down on a rock and became still.

.

“Artemis has been captured?” Alice whispered when Lee returned from the meeting.

Lee nodded grimly. “Goddess in chains. This is bad.”

“Who’s going on the quest?” Michael asked.

“Zoe obviously,” Lee said, ticking off his fingers. “Bianca di Angelo, the new girl. One of the other Hunters, Phoebe. Thalia and Grover are going too.”

“I bet Percy wasn’t happy with that,” Kayla said grimly. “He wants to find Annabeth.”

They all glanced at the empty Poseidon table. Percy had not shown up for dinner. He didn’t come down at all even after Grover and Chiron arrived.

.

“Will! Wake up!”

Will blinked groggily. “Wassup?”

“Centaur blood victim. Phoebe. One of the hunters.”

Will jumped up. “Centaur blood? Who? What? How?”

Austin shrugged. “I don’t know. Lee and Michael won’t wake up, so I tried you. Hurry, Chiron’ll take you.”

Will met Chiron outside the Apollo cabin. Together they hurried across the grounds to the infirmary.

“Who got a hold of centaur blood?” Will asked furiously as he treated the burns. “Doesn’t anyone know how dangerous that stuff is?”

“Those boys that gave her this shirt,” Zoe said tersely. She handed Chiron the shirt. “I must tell Bianca. We are already down one member of our quest.” She stalked out of the room.

“One shall be lost in the land without rain,” Will repeated. “This it you think?”

Chiron pursed his lips. “I hope it is. Phoebe will live, which is more than I can say I hoped for when I heard this line.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always wondered what Chiron would have done for Capture the Flag with Percy and Thalia. Like, we saw how disastrous it was for them to be on the same team and I bet Chiron would know that. So I think he'd try to separate them. I dunno, that's just my idea.


	15. There's Something Strange About Nico

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Titan's Curse

Percy Jackson was gone when they woke up. Will spent the night in the infirmary after he had bandaged up Phoebe. After hearing there was now an open spot, Will wasn’t exactly surprised to find out Percy was gone.

“I told you he headed home this morning,” Nico was telling Chiron at breakfast. “I ran into him and he told me.”

Nico seemed oddly serious, and there was a dark look on his face.

Mr. D strolled into the dining pavilion. “I’ve dealt with Perry Johansson.”

Chiron looked alarmed. “Mr. D-”

“Two of them are going to die,” Mr. D continued. “I hope he’s one of them.”

“What happened?” Lee asked Will.

Will bit his lip. “Last night Phoebe was poisoned by the Stolls I think. So a spot opened up for Percy to sneak out.”

“Second sneak out quest,” Michael said, looking impressed. “Is that how we get quests around here now?”

“Apparently,” Will said absently.

He could take his mind off the dark look on Nico’s face. There was something unsettling about it. Nico was obviously covering for Percy, but the way he spoke was like he was a completely different person. No longer the excitable eleven year old, but a deadly serious half-blood.

.

There were a few strange things about Nico di Angelo that Will noticed.

Firstly, he didn’t seem to know what modern (well, as modern as you could get with Chiron) technology was. He understood it to a certain degree, but had no idea how to use it as well as most of the younger campers.

Secondly, Nico’s past was a mystery to everyone including Nico it seemed. He had no idea who his mortal parent was nor did he know much about the first eleven years of his life. Or if he did, he didn't say anything about it.

Thirdly, there were strange twitches. Will felt kind of rude classifying that as strange, but it was the truth. At lunch the day Percy left, Nico went stiff like he had felt something.

“Cats,” he mumbled according to Cecil who told Will about the strange new development.

Will blinked. “He said… cats?”

Cecil nodded. “Cats. He said something about warriors too.”

“Probably part of his game,” Will waved it off, but still something didn’t sit right. Why would Nico be talking about cats and warriors? What had caused him to stiffen up?

.

Nico was very sullen at breakfast the next day. Ever since his sister had left on her quest, it seemed like Nico reverted further and further away from the happy-go-lucky kid he had been upon arrival.

“Are you okay?” Will finally asked him despite Cecil’s warning look.

Nico glared at him. “I’m fine, okay? I had a bad dream and I don’t want to talk about it. Is that so bad?”

“Sorry,” Will said, holding his hands up. “I’m just worried about you.”

“Don’t be,” Nico snapped.

Will wasn’t sure if Nico meant for him to not be sorry, to not worry, or both.

.

The next day, nothing seemed to improve. Nico silently played Mythomagic with a few other kids who liked the game.

“Why are you so obsessed?” Cecil complained. “He’s finally not annoying, and now he’s all you can think about.”

Will huffed. “I just want to know what’s going on. You can’t tell me you aren’t curious, Cecil. The kid’s a bundle of joy for a solid day or two. His sister leaves on that quest and now he’s withdrawn and sullen.” He shook his head. “Nico di Angelo is a mystery, and I want to solve him.”

“Consider this,” Cecil grumbled. “He misses his sister. Resents her for joining the Hunters. I mean, if Kayla or Alice joined them, how would you feel? Or even Lee or Michael. What would you do if they joined an immortal boys group that you couldn’t join for whatever reason?”

Will sighed. “Okay. You made your point. I would be upset too. But I can’t help but feel like this is more than upset. Has he said anything about his dreams?”

“Like I said,” a voice interrupted them.

Will and Cecil jumped when they saw Nico standing behind them.

Nico stared at them. “I don’t want to talk about my dreams. Stay out of my business.” He left without another word.

A chilly feeling hung in the air. It seemed to be colder at Camp Half-Blood the past few days.

.

Thalia turned up dressed in the silver Hunter jacket. She whispered a few words to some of the other Hunters. Then she exchanged words with Chiron before she and the rest of the Hunters left Camp.

Will didn’t know whether or not that was a good thing. Thalia had very clearly been wearing the circlet that Zoe once wore symbolizing her position as the Lieutenant of Artemis. They had been destined to lose two. One must have been Zoe.

Not only that, but Will did not see Bianca di Angelo as the Hunters left. Maybe she was with Artemis elsewhere, and Thalia was bringing the Hunters to meet them, but Will sincerely doubted this was the case.

He felt a surge of anger that no one was going to bother to tell Nico if his sister was alive or dead.

An hour later, three figures made their way to the top of Half-Blood Hill.

Chiron greeted them at the Big House with hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches. For some reason, the satyrs and Grover were running around asking about the nearest espresso bar.

Clarisse, back from her mission, went up to Percy and Annabeth and muttered something.

"I'll fill you in later," Chiron said with forced cheerfulness. "The important thing is you have prevailed. And you saved Annabeth!"

Annabeth smiled at Percy gratefully.

"Luke is alive," Percy said. "Annabeth was right."

Annabeth sat up. "How do you know?"

Will was alarmed. Luke is alive? Why did that sound like they thought he was dead?

Cecil frowned. “Great. The traitor can’t even die properly.”

Will elbowed him. “Cecil!”

“I’m just saying.”

"Well." Annabeth shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "If the final battle does come when Percy is sixteen, at least we have two more years to figure something out."

"Two years may seem like a long time," Chiron said. "But it is the blink of an eye. I still hope you are not the child of the prophecy, Percy. But if you are, then the second Titan war is almost upon us. Kronos's first strike will be here."

"How do you know?" Percy asked. "Why would he care about camp?"

"Because the gods use heroes as their tools," Chiron said simply. "Destroy the tools, and the gods will be crippled. Luke's forces will come here. Mortal, demigod, monstrous... We must be prepared. Clarisse's news may give us a clue as to how they will attack, but—"

There was a knock on the door, and Nico di Angelo came huffing into the parlor, his cheeks bright red from the cold.

Will’s heart dropped. Was Bianca di Angelo alive? Percy, Thalia, and Grover had come back unscathed. Zoe and Bianca… they had to be the ones who died.

Nico was smiling and he looked so much like his cheerful annoying self that Will prayed Bianca would jump out from under a table.

"Hey! Where's... where's my sister?" Nico asked.

Dead silence.

Percy seemed to realize that no one had told Nico anything. He glanced at Chiron before standing up. “Hey, Nico. Let’s take a walk, okay? We need to talk.”

When Percy returned minutes later, he was holding something in his hand and there was a strange look on his face.

“Annabeth? Grover? I… can you come with me?”

Percy’s two friends followed him without hesitation.

.

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover missed dinner. When Will saw them next, Chiron was standing on the porch of the Big House talking to Percy and Annabeth.

“-gone,” Percy was saying. “I’m sorry, Chiron. He… we looked for hours, but…”

Chiron sighed. “And the dining pavilion floor? What happened?”

“Me,” Percy said quickly. “Nico got made at me and I got mad at him. It was an accident. I’ll help fix it.”

Chiron glanced between Annabeth and Percy like he didn’t believe them. He sighed. "So young. Alas, I hope he was eaten by monsters. Much better than being recruited into the Titans' army."

"You really think the first attack will be here?" Percy asked.

Will tuned out of their conversation. Nico di Angelo was gone. Somewhere in the woods. Will raced off towards the woods.

“Nico?” he called once he could no longer hear the noise from Camp Half-Blood. “Nico?” He got no answer. Finally, admitting defeat, Will returned to Camp. He eyed the strange crack in the floor of the dining pavilion. He had a feeling Percy wasn’t being completely truthful about it’s origins. Sure, Poseidon was the Earthshaker with the power to cause earthquakes, but Percy had yet to display that skill. But if it wasn’t Percy’s doing, then was it Nico’s?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to have Will find Nico, but I don't think that would fit within canon since Nico doesn't really seem to know Will very well and it sounds like he's only really dealt with Will in passing. Most likely the only time he interacted with Will was during those two weeks after the Battle of Manhattan before he left Camp.
> 
> I always wondered how Percy explained the crack in the floor. I think he could have reasonably argued that as his father is the god of earthquakes that he caused it which is obviously what Percy tells Chiron here, but anyone else have any other theories?


	16. Pet Hellhound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Battle of the Labyrinth

“I’m sorry to announce that Mr. D has been recalled to Olympus to assist in preparations in the event of a fight between the gods and the titans,” Chiron announced. “Helping me until such a time as Mr. D returns is Quintus.”

A man in his fifties stood up and waved politely. He had short gray hair and a clipped gray beard.

“I would like to add that if you see a hellhound wandering about, that would be Mrs. O’Leary and I ask that you not kill her,” Quintus said earnestly. “It’s quite a bit of work taming a hellhound and I must admit I’ve grown rather fond of her.”

“He has a pet hellhound,” Will muttered. “Of course he does.”

Kayla gave him a smile. “Tame hellhound.”

“You say that like it’s not a potentially dangerous monster that could kill us all,” Will deadpanned.

“We’ve faced worse,” Michael shrugged. “I mean, there was the one  _ untamed _ hellhound that went after Percy a few years ago. Easy defeat. Plus all the monsters that attacked while our borders were failing. I think we could handle it if…  _ Mrs. O’Leary _ attacks.”

“I don’t like it,” Will scowled.

.

Percy Jackson arrived a week later. And naturally, he tried to attack the hellhound.

When he heard about it, Will wasn’t sure whether or not he wished Percy had actually succeeded in killing it or not. He still wasn’t a fan of Quintus keeping his pet hellhound at camp.

Lee had been very secretive all year. Will had a feeling it had something to do with Clarisse’s newfound lack of hostility towards Annabeth who had dropped in a few times to discuss something.

“-crack,” Percy’s brother Tyson said as he and Percy entered the dining pavilion. “Earthquake, maybe?”

Will glanced down at the sealed ten-foot-long fissure in the marble floor. He noted that Percy was careful to step over it.

“No,” Percy said quietly. “Not an earthquake.”

That got Will’s attention, but before he could hear what else Percy had to say, Michael called out to him, and Will had to move away in the direction of the Apollo table.

“Nico di Angelo…” Percy was saying.

Will sat down at the Apollo table.

“What’s raining on your sunshine?” Kayla asked with raised eyebrows.

“The crack in the floor,” Will answered shortly.

Austin peered down the row of tables in the direction of the crack. “Scary thing, isn’t it? I can’t believe Percy did that. I mean, I knew his dad controls earthquakes, but this is something else. Impressive though.”

“You won’t catch me on Percy’s bad side,” Alice said, helping herself to some food.

.

Will woke up to the sounds of his siblings rushing around the cabin.

“Sorry,” Lee whispered. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

Lee, Michael, and Kayla were standing there with armor on and their bows slung across their backs.

“What’s going on?” Will mumbled.

“Aethiopian drakon,” Kayla answered quietly. “There’s one at the borders. We’re heading out to find it.”

Will sat upright. “Just the three of you? What about Austin or Alice? Why don’t we all go?”

Michael held up a hand. “Relax. It can’t get through the borders, so we’ll stay inside. We’ll be fine, Will. Go back to sleep.” He followed Kayla and Lee out the door.

As much as he wished he could, Will couldn’t fall back asleep. He stared at the door for hours before Lee, Michael, and Kayla stumbled back in.

“Are you okay?” Will asked immediately.

“Tired,” Kayla yawned. “Ran all over the woods. Didn’t get it though.” She flopped onto her bed and fell asleep.

Michael seemed to think that was a really good idea because he fell asleep as soon as his head hit his pillow.

“We’ll get it next time,” Lee assured himself before promptly falling asleep.

.

The next morning there was a lot of excitement at breakfast about the Aethiopian drakon.

“It’s still out there,” Lee warned during announcements. “Twenty arrows in its hide, and we just made it mad. The thing was thirty feet long and bright green. It’s eyes—” he shuddered.

“You did well, Lee,” Chiron patted him on the shoulder. “Everyone stay alert, but stay calm. This has happened before.”

“Aye,” Quintus said from the head table. “And it will happen again. More and more frequently.”

The campers murmured among themselves. Everyone knew the rumors: Luke and his army of monsters were planning an invasion of the camp. Most of them expected it to happen this summer, but no one knew how or when. It didn’t help that attendance was down. Camp Half-Blood currently only had about eighty campers. Three years ago there had been more than a hundred. Some had died. Some had joined Luke. Some had just disappeared.

“This is a good reason for new war games,” Quintus continued, a glint in his eyes. “We’ll see how you all do with that tonight.”

“Yes…” Chiron said. “Well, enough announcements. Let us bless this meal and eat.” He raised his goblet. “To the gods.”

“To the gods,” Will repeated with his siblings.

A little while into the meal, everyone in the dining pavilion kept stealing glances at the Poseidon table where Percy, Annabeth, and Grover were huddled together talking lowly. Campers weren’t supposed to switch tables. Whatever they were talking about had to be important. Although, Chiron had already left, so he couldn’t exactly protest this.

Grover looked uneasy through the whole conversation, and Clarisse was watching the trio like a hawk. Annabeth gave her a nervous look before leaning closer and talking probably even more quietly.

Over at the head table, Quintus cleared his throat. Apparently he cared enough about the rules to try to enforce them.

Annabeth squeezed Percy’s arm and returned to the Athena table. Grover left a minute later, and Percy glanced up at Quintus who nodded gravely before going back to cutting his sausage with a dagger.

“What was that about?” Austin wondered.

“No idea,” Will said, staring at the Poseidon table.

.

That night after dinner, Quintus had them suit up in combat armor like they were getting ready for capture the flag, but the mood among the campers was a lot more serious.

“Right,” Quintus said, standing on the head dining table. “Gather ’round.”

He was dressed in black leather and bronze. In the torchlight, his gray hair made him look like a ghost. Mrs. O’Leary bounded happily around him, foraging for dinner scraps. Will tried not to let his distaste at the obvious safety hazard show.

“You will be in teams of two,” Quintus announced. When everybody started talking and trying to grab their friends, he yelled: “Which have already been chosen!”

“AWWWWW!” everybody complained.

“Your goal is simple: collect the gold laurels without dying. The wreath is wrapped in a silk package, tied to the back of one of the monsters. There are six monsters. Each has a silk package. Only one holds the laurels. You must find the wreath before the other teams. And, of course…you will have to slay the monster to get it, and stay alive.”

“I’m doomed,” Will muttered darkly.

Lee patted his arm. “With any luck, you’ll get paired with Clarisse and she can do all the dirty work for you.”

Will gave him an unimpressed look. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“I will now announce your partners,” Quintus said. “There will be no trading. No switching. No complaining.”

“Aroooof!” Mrs. O’Leary buried her face in a plate of pizza.

Quintus produced a big scroll and started reading off names. Beckendorf and Silena. Travis and Connor would be together. No surprise. They did everything together. Clarisse was with Lee which Will was pretty sure was the Fates laughing in his face. Will ended up paired with Michael. Naturally, Percy and Annabeth were paired up.

Will heard Annabeth tell Percy his armor was crooked, and he suppressed a snort.

“Grover Underwood,” Quintus said, “with Tyson.”

“What? B-but—” Grover protested

“No, no,” Tyson whimpered. “Must be a mistake. Goat boy—”

“No complaining!” Quintus ordered. “Get with your partner. You have two minutes to prepare!”

Will had no idea why Quintus thought it would be a good idea to pair up a satyr and a cyclops, but considering the man had a pet hellhound, he didn’t know why he was even surprised about anything the guy did at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fact that no one put up a fight about Mrs. O'Leary in the books... until, ya know, Clarisse wanted to train and Quintus just kinda left his dog in the arena which prevented Clarisse from training. I'm just saying, I think the campers all heard her name and decided that if Mrs. O'Leary went on a rampage, they could totally take her.
> 
> Also... I couldn't help myself. I started working on the beginning of the sequel to When They Came. I said I wanted to wait for Tower of Nero to come out, but what I've written so far is obscure enough for me to write it now and allude to whatever happens. I think. I dunno, I really wanted to write something about it and it just happened! Just... ugh. Word vomit. Story vomit. Plot vomit. Whatever. So yeah. I've been flip flopping between this story, the sequel story, and the Ghost King series.
> 
> On the plus side, my classes are done and over finally! Could not have come sooner. Hope y'all are doing great and staying healthy!


	17. Labyrinth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Battle of the Labyrinth

It wasn’t Camp Half-Blood without something going terribly wrong.

The game was over within a few hours, and when Chiron sounded the horn signaling the end of the game, campers came out of the woods at varying intervals.

Will rushed to the infirmary to await the countless patients he was expecting. However, Michael popped in with a panicked look.

“What’s wrong?” Will asked.

Michael frowned. “Percy and Annabeth aren’t back yet. Everyone's out searching for them.”

Will jumped up and ran after Michael towards the woods. It had started to get dark so they each grabbed a torch and everyone split up to search.

“Percy!” Michael yelled. “Annabeth!”

“JACKSON!” Clarisse shouted. “CHASE!”

Michael held his torch out in front of him, lighting up the whole area around him and Will. “Where could they have gone?” he muttered.

“Maybe we should have protested going into the woods to participate in a game made up by the guy who owns a pet hellhound,” Will mumbled.

“Like any of those monsters Quintus set on us could do Percy  _ or _ Annabeth in,” Michael rolled his eyes. “Probably got side tracked,” he said slyly.

“Or lost,” Will said with a disapproving look.

Michael grinned. “Or that.”

By nightfall, they still hadn’t found either of the two missing campers. Will could see Michael getting worried now. He had said that none of Quintus’ monsters could hurt Percy or Annabeth, yet they still hadn’t found them.

“Percy! Annabeth!” Tyson’s voice bellowed from somewhere in the forest.

Clarisse made her way out of the bushes. She glanced at Michael. “No sign of them yet. Did you see which direction they headed?”

“No,” Will sighed. He leaned against the pile of rocks known as Zeus’ Fist. “I-”

Percy and Annabeth appeared from behind the rocks.

“Where have you two been?” Clarisse demanded. “We’ve been looking forever.”

“But we were gone only a few minutes,” Percy said, confusion visible on his face.

Chiron trotted up, followed by Tyson and Grover.

“Percy!” Tyson said. “You are okay?”

“We’re fine,” Percy said. “We fell in a hole.” His eyes widened. “Honest! There were three scorpions after us, so we ran and hid in the rocks. But we were only gone a minute.”

“You’ve been missing for almost an hour,” Chiron said. “The game is over.”

“Yeah,” Grover muttered. “We would’ve won, but a Cyclops sat on me.”

“Was an accident!” Tyson protested, and then he sneezed.

“A hole?” Clarisse asked suspiciously.

Annabeth took a deep breath. She looked around at the other campers. “Chiron…maybe we should talk about this at the Big House.”

Clarisse gasped. “You found it, didn’t you?”

Annabeth bit her lip. “I—Yeah. Yeah, we did.”

“Found it?” Will whispered. “Found what?”

Michael looked as confused as Will felt. “I don’t know.”

Chiron raised his hand for silence. “Tonight is not the right time, and this is not the right place.” He stared at boulders as if he’d just noticed how dangerous they were. “All of you, back to your cabins. Get some sleep. A game well played, but curfew is past!”

“Come on,” Michael said dejectedly. “Should be getting back. It’s late.”

.

Lee was gone in the morning when they woke up. When he got back, he looked worried.

“Bad news?” Kayla sighed.

“An entrance to the Labyrinth is Zeus’ Fist,” Lee explained. “Luke’s been sending scouts to try and find it so he can send monsters through it to attack Camp. We’re setting up a guard just in case, but Annabeth is going to lead a quest to find Daedalus.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Annabeth’s prophecy is kind of…” he paused. “No,  _ very _ confusing.” He let out a breath.

“What was it?” Alice asked warily.

Lee frowned. “ _ You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze / The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise / You shall rise or fall by the ghost king’s hand / The Child of Athena’s final stand / Destroy with a hero’s final breath _ …” Lee grimaced. “I don’t know what the last line was. Annabeth wouldn’t say.”

Michael thought it over. “Well, the first line is obvious. That’s the Labyrinth. Second line is pretty vague.”

“Grover said the lost one in Pan,” Lee explained. “We don’t know who the dead or the traitor are.”

“Ghost king though,” Austin mused. “Wonder what that means.”

“Percy seemed to understand it,” Lee shrugged. “Whatever it means, it doesn’t sound good. I’d rather not meet anyone associated with ghosts. Bad omens, you know?”

Kayla bit her lip. “Child of Athena’s final stand… please tell me that’s not Annabeth.”

“Athena has a lot of kids,” Will pointed out. “Prophecies usually have some double meaning, right? And the final stand doesn’t have to mean she’ll die.”

Lee was silent. Then, “She’s taking three others. It’s a quest of four. Annabeth, Percy, Grover, and Tyson. You remember last December. Five went on the quest, but only Percy, Thalia, and Grover came back. Those two Hunters died.”

Oh yes. Will remember that very clearly. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about last December. Something had happened, and Percy Jackson was not being very forthcoming with the details. All Will knew was that it involved Nico di Angelo and that mysterious crack in the dining pavilion floor.

“When are they leaving?” Alice asked.

“Tomorrow,” Lee answered. “Hephaestus Cabin is making plans for defending the entrance and they’ll start fortifications tomorrow. Which means guard duty starts tomorrow too.” He looked at Will. “We can’t drop everything. We still have to run the infirmary. Will’s in charge there. The rest of us will rotate. I’ll take half to guard while Michael takes half to the infirmary. We’ll switch halfway through our shift.”

Will straightened up. “You’re putting me in charge of the infirmary?”

“Well yeah,” Lee grinned. “Best healer in the world right there. Be stupid not to put you in charge. Don’t overwork yourself though. Promise?”

“Promise,” Will smiled. “Thanks, Lee.”

.

It seemed like most of the campers were in a somber mood.

Annabeth had left with Percy, Tyson, and Grover early that morning according to Beckendorf and his siblings who had been working on setting up their defensive spikes and trenches.

“The Labyrinth,” Cecil said quietly. He shook his head. “ _ I  _ wouldn’t go in there. Travis and Connor were telling us about Annabeth’s quest last night. Did you know they found one of Luke’s demigods in the maze? He went mad apparently. They wouldn’t say who it was though.”

“Well, we all hate Luke and the demigods who joined him,” Will pointed out. “If I was Chiron, I wouldn’t tell us either.”

The Labyrinth had been kept quiet from all but the head counselors, so Annabeth’s quest had been the apparent deciding factor in whether or not to tell the rest of the camp.

It was all anyone could talk about today.

Will wished they would all stop. It was just depressing really. There was speculation on how long they would be gone seeing as time moved differently. Some people placed bets on who this supposed Ghost King was. And others still wondered how long the four questers would remain sane (word had also spread quickly about the insane demigod they had found).

“Are you treating the insane demigod, Will?” an Aphrodite girl asked as Will bandaged her arm.

Will rolled his eyes. “As if. I don’t know anything about the demigod, Lacy.”

Lacy frowned. “Come on, Will,” she pleaded. “I just want to know.”

“First, like I said, I don’t know who it is,” Will said irritably. “Second, even if I did know and we were treating him here, I couldn’t say. Doctor-patient confidentiality.” He blinked in a daze, then shook his head. “Third, don’t Aphrodite charm me.”

Lacy gave him a sheepish look. “Sorry. I’ve gotten better at controlling it, but…”

“I get it,” Will shrugged. “It is pretty cool, you know, when it’s not being used against you.”

She laughed. “True. Not as cool as Silena and Drew though.”

“Charmspeak, right?”

“You got it.” Lacy sighed. “Do you think charmspeak could stop an army of monsters?” she asked quietly.

Will thought for a moment. “Maybe. If it was powerful enough. The smaller monsters for sure. Bigger monsters like cyclops, Laestrygonians, or hellhounds might be harder to stop.”

“I don’t want to fight,” Lacy whispered. “Some of the demigods on Luke’s side are… they were my friends once. If we could just make them give up-”

“It’s going to be okay,” Will assured her. “It’s going to be okay.”

He just wished he could be absolutely sure of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Chiron. He's just like. Yeah we found out that there's a secret entrance from the Labyrinth that leads directly into our Camp. Lol, guys. Go to bed. It's past curfew.
> 
> Now, Will became Head Counselor at the age of 13 and I'm sorry, but I highly doubt Apollo had any shortage of children. So in my mind, given Will's age and the fact that there must have been someone older than him that could have taken the job, Will got the position because he already had experience in a leadership position which was probably leading the infirmary. Hence, he has now been put in charge of it.


	18. A Battle's Coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Battle of the Labyrinth

A week after Annabeth left on her quest, they got news in the form of a volcanic eruption.

There had been an explosion at Mount St. Helens. The only reason Will even knew it was related to the quest was because of the worried look Chiron had adopted in the days following the event.

“Travis and Connor managed to pull the footage off Chiron’s old computer,” Cecil whispered to Will. “It’s terrifying. Huge plume of fire and ash. I don’t want to know which monster caused  _ that _ .”

Will agreed with him.

Annabeth arrived in tears. She sputtered out to Chiron that Percy had been in the explosion at Mount St. Helens before her sibling ushered her to the Athena Cabin for privacy.

“Percy’s dead?” Kayla whispered.

Austin shook his head. “No way. Percy can’t…” he trailed off. “Wouldn’t we know? I mean, Poseidon would be upset, right? The water… the water would be acting up.”

Michael and Lee didn’t look too convinced, but neither said anything to discourage that line of thinking.

Two days after Annabeth returned, Chiron gathered all the Apollo campers together. His expression was very grave.

“I do not think I need to stress the importance of secrecy in this matter,” he said slowly. “As Lee has told you, we did indeed find one of Luke’s demigods wandering the Labyrinth last winter. I have not allowed counselors to release his name yet, but I am telling you now. The demigod we found is Chris Rodriguez. Clarisse has been helping him for the past few months, but his condition is getting worse.” His eyes locked on Will. “You are our healers, and I am entrusting him to your care in the infirmary. You are to let no one in to see him without permission from myself. You are not allowed to speak of him to anyone outside this room. Understood?”

“Understood,” Will mumbled.

Michael and Kayla nodded.

“Yes, sir,” Alice answered.

“You got it,” Lee said.

Chiron nodded at them and left.

.

Finally, after two weeks with no one hearing from Percy, Chiron called them all to the amphitheater to burn Percy’s shroud.

“As you know, Percy Jackson was in the explosion at Mount St. Helens while on a quest. We… we must assume he is dead,” Chiron said. “After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked his best surviving friend to do the final honors.”

Annabeth took a long green silk burial cloth, embroidered with a trident, and set it on the flames. She turned to face the audience. She looked terrible. Her eyes were puffy from crying, but she managed to say, “He was probably the bravest friend I’ve ever had. He…” She paused and her face went blood red. “He’s right there!”

Heads turned. People gasped.

“Percy!” Beckendorf grinned.

A bunch of other kids crowded around him. There were a few curses from the Ares cabin too. Chiron cantered over and everyone made way for him.

“Well,” he sighed with obvious relief. “I don’t believe I’ve ever been happier to see a camper return. But you must tell me—”

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” Annabeth interrupted, shoving aside the other campers. Will thought she was going to punch Percy, but instead she hugged him fiercely. She let him go. “I—we thought you were dead, Seaweed Brain!”

“I’m sorry,” Percy said. “I got lost.”

“LOST?” she yelled. “Two weeks, Percy? Where in the world—”

“Annabeth,” Chiron interrupted. “Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private, shall we? The rest of you, back to your normal activities!”

Without waiting for anyone to protest, he picked up Annabeth and Percy as easily as if they were kittens, slung them both on his back, and galloped off toward the Big House.

“I wouldn’t want to be Percy right now,” Alice grinned.

Lee snorted. “Oh gods, when do you think those two will take a hint?”

“My money’s on Annabeth making the first move,” Michael said slyly. “The Stolls have a betting pool going, you know.”

“What?” Will sputtered. “Percy and Annabeth?”

“It’s sooo obvious,” Kayla giggled. “We don’t have to be kids of Aphrodite to see it.”

Will had never really thought about it until his siblings pointed it out, but now he could see what they meant. All the arguing was so much like they were an old married couple. And it was clear how much Percy cared about Annabeth when she was missing last winter.

“Anyone caught your eye, Will?” Alice’s teasing voice broke through Will’s thoughts.

“No!” Will gasped, face bright red. “Alice, shut up I’m twelve!”

Alice broke into laughter. “Teasing, Will.” Then her face turned deadly serious. “But if you do start dating, you have to tell us so we can threaten them not to break your heart. Remember Cherry?” she asked Lee and Michael.

Michael choked. “Oh gods, Will, it was so funny. Cherry left Camp a year before you got here. She was the head before Lee. Anyway, she was dating this Demeter boy for two months before she told us. The next day, he was a mess.” Michael couldn’t keep explaining through his tears of laughter.

Lee picked up the story. “We had snuck into his cabin, kidnapped him, tied him to a tree, and threatened him. I think someone knocked him out and we dropped him back in his cabin, but he wouldn’t go near us for a week!” He grinned. “It was so awesome.”

“Until Chiron found out and he made a rule that siblings may verbally threaten their siblings’ boyfriends and girlfriends, but not actually physically harm them or traumatize them,” Alice corrected.

Kayla looked impressed. “I wish I could have seen that.”

“We can be scary when it comes to our siblings,” Lee said with a slightly evil look.

Will decided that he was  _ never _ going to tell his siblings about anyone he liked.

.

Lee was called away along with the other head counselors by Chiron. When he returned, Lee was pale faced.

“Uh oh,” Michael said with a grimace. “What happened?”

“Chiron got an IM from Annabeth,” Lee explained, voice wavering slightly. “Luke has Ariadne’s String. His army is on it’s way here through the Labyrinth. I guess Daedalus liked Luke’s offer better,” he said bitterly. He inhaled deeply. “We have to get ready for… for battle.”

Battle. They were really going to do this. Fight an army of monsters and demigods. For some reason, it seemed much different than in Capture the Flag. Of course it would, Will berated himself. This would be a fight to the death, not some silly fight to get a flag. Capture the Flag seemed childish now.

“What do we do?” Kayla asked quietly.

Lee glanced around. “I want everyone to have medical supplies on them. Lots of us are going to get hurt and if it’s serious, we need to have whatever we need on hand. We’re stocking our quivers full of all the arrows they can hold. Please arm yourselves with a knife or a sword too, just in case,” he begged. “If you run out of arrows and you’re surrounded by monsters…” he trailed off. No one needed an explanation of what would happen.

“Got it,” Alice said bravely.

“Athena and Hephaestus are working on battle plans and more fortifications,” Lee added. “I’ll tell you guys what we’re doing as soon as I know, just be prepared.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, I like the idea of them being all super protective of their siblings...
> 
> So that was cute and then the serious scene happened. Ugh, I'm not ready for this.


	19. The Battle of the Labyrinth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Battle of the Labyrinth
> 
> Sorry to leave you hanging for so long. I got sidetracked and stuff. Well, not really. More like I didn't want to exert any energy switching tabs or windows or whatever. I honestly don't know why I haven't posted in a while.

“They’re back!” Cecil cried, rushing into the infirmary where Will was making sure they had enough nectar and ambrosia for both the battle and the battle’s aftermath.

Will looked up. “Huh?”

Cecil’s hands waved around. “Annabeth, Percy, Grover, and Tyson. And this emo kid. Like seriously emo. Skulls and black and death. No joke.”

“Emo kid,” Will said flatly.

Cecil nodded. “Scary guy. It’s insane. I dunno who his godly parent is, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Thanatos or Phobos or Deimos.”

A new demigod who’s godly parent might be the god of death, the god of fear, or the god of terror. That sounded fantastic. And intriguing.

“He’s on our side, right?” Will asked. He placed a container of ambrosia squares in a cabinet.

“As far as I can tell. I think Chiron called all the heads for a meeting,” Cecil shrugged. “New kid went with them.” He frowned. “You know, he seemed really familiar. I can’t place it, but he seems so familiar. Black hair, pale skin… Know him?”

Will frowned. “No. Not familiar.”

“Will!” Silena poked her head in. “Lee said you’d be here. It’s time.”

Will jumped up and grabbed two bags full of medical supplies. “On our way!” he called after Silena.

.

It was insane how the clearing around Zeus’ Fist looked. Everyone was dressed in full battle armor. The whole look was almost like a military operation.

The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth—razor wire, pits filled with pots of Greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect a charge. Beckendorf was manning two catapults the size of pickup trucks, already primed and aimed at Zeus’s Fist.

The Ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in phalanx formation with Clarisse calling orders. 

Apollo’s and Hermes’s cabins were scattered in the woods with bows ready. Many had taken up positions in the trees. Even the dryads were armed with bows, and the satyrs trotted around with wooden cudgels and shields made of rough tree bark.

Athena cabin had set up a command tent and were directing operations. A gray banner with an owl fluttered outside the tent. The security chief, Argus, stood guard at the door.

Aphrodite’s children were running around straightening everybody’s armor and offering to comb the tangles out of our horse hair plumes.

Even Dionysus’s kids had found something to do. The god himself was still nowhere to be seen, but his two blond twin sons were running around providing all the sweaty warriors with water bottles and juice boxes.

Will swallowed a lump in his throat as he and Cecil made their way to where their cabins were gathered.

“You got the stuff!” Michael said in relief. He grabbed one bag. “Putting this in the command tent.”

“Apollo Cabin, get your supplies!” Lee called.

Half the bag Will was holding was emptied. He slung the bag across his chest.

“I brought my bow,” he told Lee sourly. “Fat load of good it’ll do me.”

Lee gave him a look. “You can do this, Will.”

Will glanced at his brother. “Lee, Cecil was telling me about a new kid. Who is he?”

“Oh, actually that’s-”

The ground trembled.

“Lock shields!” Clarisse’s voice shouted.

Then the army of monsters exploded from the Labyrinth.

Beckendorf launched the catapults as Laistrygonian giants sent dozens of campers flying.

“Holy Hephaestus!” Lee shouted.

Will and his siblings fired a volley of arrows that stuck in the thick armor of the giants like porcupine quills. Several found chinks in armor, and some of the giants vaporized at the touch of celestial bronze.

“I’m going over there!” Will shouted, gesturing to the campers the giants had sent flying.

Lee nodded as he continued to fire arrows in rapid succession.

Will dodged club after club on his way to the group of Ares campers.

“Anyone seriously hurt?” he asked.

A boy around thirteen groaned. “I landed on someone’s dagger,” he said.

Will swallowed when he saw the hilt of the dagger jutting out of the boy’s stomach. “Eat this,” he demanded, holding out two squares of ambrosia. “The rest of you, cover us.”

An Ares girl nodded. “Can do.” 

“So what do we do?” the boy asked awkwardly. “Dagger out, dagger in?”

Will gritted his teeth and carefully pulled the dagger out. He pressed a towel to the wound.

“Hold that,” he ordered. “The ambrosia should kick in soon.”

He made the mistake of looking up to see how the battle was going. Which was to say, it wasn’t going very well at all.

Thirty or forty dracaenae in full battle armor wielding spears and nets had joined the fray. Some hit the traps the Hephaestus cabin had laid. One got struck on the spikes and became an easy target for Will’s siblings. Another triggered a trip wire, and pots of Greek fire exploded into green flames, engulfing several of the snake women. But many more kept coming. Argus and Athena’s warriors rushed forward to meet them.

Chiron calmly aimed arrow after arrow, taking down a monster with every shot. But more enemies just kept climbing out of the maze.

Finally a hellhound—not Mrs. O’Leary—leaped out of the tunnel and barreled straight toward the satyrs.

The Ares boy had healed, so Will moved on, handing out ambrosia to wounded demigods. Until he reached Castor.

“Castor!” Will shouted.

The son of Dionysus had a stab wound in his arm that was gushing blood, and he was unconscious with a bruise forming on his forehead.

Will frantically shoved a towel against the wound and started pouring nectar into Castor’s mouth.

“Come on, come on,” Will chanted. “Dad, please.” He hummed a quick hymn to Apollo, but the color was fading from Castor’s face.

The towel was soaked in blood and the nectar wasn’t doing anything.

“No, no, no. Come on, come  _ on _ ,” Will said angrily. He checked Castor’s wrist and neck for a pulse, but felt nothing. “No. No.  _ No _ .”

Will stared at the lifeless body before him for a moment before realizing what was going on around him. The hair on the back of his neck rose. He spun around.

A boy Will’s age dressed in all black and wielding a black blade was cutting down monster after monster. Will watched him in awe. The boy’s face was a mask of indifference, and he used his sword so effortlessly it was almost graceful. He stabbed a telekhine, and his black blade absorbed the monster’s essence, drinking its energy until there was nothing left but dust.

“Cool,” Will whispered.

The boy glanced over at something. He held out his black sword. The earth trembled. A fissure opened in front of the dracaenae before him, and a dozen undead warriors crawled from the earth—horrible corpses in military uniforms from all different time periods—U.S. Revolutionaries, Roman centurions, Napoleonic cavalry on skeletal horses. As one, they drew their swords and engaged the dracaenae. The boy crumpled to his knees.

Will was about to go over and check if he was okay, but the boy pushed off the ground and kept fighting although he was a bit slower.

_ Summoning undead warriors _ … What had Cecil said earlier? The new kid was possibly the child of Thanatos, Phobos, or Deimos? But didn’t Ares have control over dead soldiers on the losing side of wars? Will had never seen any of the Ares kids do anything like this before though. Who  _ was _ this kid?

Will didn’t have time to dwell on it because shouts rang out behind him and he was forced to rejoin the frenzy to aid the injured campers.

An unearthly shriek echoed out of the Labyrinth.

“Sweet mother of Zeus, what is that?” someone shouted.

Annabeth cut down a dracaenae nearby. “Kampê,” she cursed.

“Kampê?” Will yelled. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Kampê shot into the sky, her bat wings fully extended. She landed on the top of Zeus’s Fist and surveyed the carnage. Her face was filled with evil glee. The mutant animal heads growled at her waist. Snakes hissed and swirled around her legs. In her right hand she held a glittering ball of thread but she popped it into a lion’s mouth at her waist and drew her curved swords. The blades glowed green with poison. Kampê screeched in triumph, and some of the campers screamed. Others tried to run and got trampled by hellhounds or giants. 

“Don’t touch the blades!” Will and Annabeth screamed together.

“Di Immortales!” Chiron yelled. He quickly aimed an arrow, but Kampê seemed to sense his presence. She took flight with amazing speed, and Chrion’s arrow whizzed harmlessly past her head.

“Stand! Do not run from her! Fight!” Tyson the cyclops cried. But then a hellhound leaped on him, and Tyson and the hound went rolling away.

Kampê landed on the Athena command tent, smashing it flat. Will winced. There went all their extra supplies.

Kayla cursed. “I’m out of ambrosia.”

Will tossed her a few bags. “Here.”

“Thanks!” she called over her shoulder.

“No problem!”

When Quintus returned with Mrs. O’Leary, Will didn’t think he was ever happier to see the hellhound. She smashed into Kampê, sending the monster sideways.

“Good girl!” Quintus called. He was fighting his way out of the Labyrinth, slashing down enemies left and right. Next to him was someone else, much taller than the Laistrygonians, with a hundred rippling arms, each holding a huge chunk of rock.

“A hundred handed one!” a daughter of Demeter gasped in shock.

“Briares!” Will heard Tyson cry.

“Hail, little brother!” the hundred handed one, Briares, bellowed. “Stand firm!”

And as Mrs. O’Leary leaped out of the way, the Hundred-Handed One launched a volley of boulders at Kampê. The rocks seemed to enlarge as they left Briares’s hands. There were so many, it looked like half the earth had learned to fly.

BOOOOOM!

Where Kampê had stood a moment before was a mountain of boulders, almost as tall as Zeus’s Fist. The only sign that the monster had ever existed were two green sword points sticking through the cracks. A cheer went up from the campers.

“Ssssslay them! Kill them all or Kronossss will flay you alive!” one of the dracaenae yelled.

The giants surged forward in a last desperate attempt. One surprised Chiron with a glancing blow to the back legs, and he stumbled and fell. Six giants cried in glee and rushed forward.

“No!” Percy screamed from somewhere.

Will was on his way to Chiron when it happened.

The most horrible sound he had ever heard sounded across the clearing. It was like a brass trumpet magnified a thousand times—the sound of pure fear. As one, the forces of Kronos dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. The giants trampled the dracaenae trying to get into the Labyrinth first. Telekhines and hellhounds and enemy half-bloods scrambled after them. The tunnel rumbled shut, and the battle was over. The clearing was quiet except for the fires burning in the woods, and the cries of the wounded.

Percy and Annabeth reached Chiron first. Annabeth glanced around and then ran over to Will.

“Chiron?” Will asked.

Annabeth nodded. “He can’t stand.”

“I’m on it,” Will nodded.

Annabeth’s eyes widened at something behind Will. “Sorry, I gotta go. Thanks, Will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That Ares kid... "So what do we do? Dagger in, dagger out?" Anyone who can correctly guess the fictional character I was thinking of when I wrote that gets bragging rights.
> 
> Oh man... writing this chapter had me bawling for Castor and I barely knew the kid. He was only named in BotL I think. Mentioned in TLT, but only named when he died. That's what I get for creating a tragic death scene where Will fails to save him. Haven't even gotten to the worst parts yet either.


	20. Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Battle of the Labyrinth
> 
> Tissues at the ready, ahhhh. Stop, I'm already crying and I wrote this chapter weeks ago.

“Will?” Kayla’s voice shook and quivered.

Chiron nodded at Will. “Go on, Will. I can manage my wheelchair.”

Will turned to see Kayla with red eyes and tears streaming down her face. “Kayla? What happened? Are you okay?”

Kayla shook her head. “It’s Lee,” she cried. “Will, Lee… Lee’s dead.”

No.  _ No _ . Not Lee.

It wasn’t possible. Will had just talked to him only minutes earlier.

_ “I brought my bow,” he told Lee sourly. “Fat load of good it’ll do me.” _

_ Lee gave him a look. “You can do this, Will.” _

_ Will glanced at his brother. “Lee, Cecil was telling me about a new kid. Who is he?” _

_ “Oh, actually that’s-” _

Will shook himself out of his thoughts. “What?”

Kayla blinked rapidly. “Will, please. Michael’s not doing well, and you and… you’re the closest to him. He needs you right now.”

“I just talked to him,” Will said out loud. “Before the battle. He… he can’t…”

Yes. Yes, he could.

The pale face of Castor appeared in his mind. Only a short while before, Castor and his twin brother Pollux had been running around handing out water and juice boxes. Will had seen them, but now…

“Where?” Will asked, voice cracking.

Kayla grabbed his hand and pulled Will off towards where they had started at the beginning of the battle.

Will stopped once they reached the rest of their siblings. Michael was sitting on the ground against a rock by Lee’s head. Alice had her arms around two of Will’s younger siblings who were sobbing into her side. Kayla had gone to Austin and was crying and hugging him.

Lee had dried blood all down the left side of his face and neck. His shoulder had been dislocated, and his arm was bent awkwardly.

Michael looked up. “Will?” he asked in a broken voice.

“What… what ha… happened?” Will asked shakily.

“One of the giants swung at us,” Austin said quietly. “Most of us got out of the way. Some got flung like the Ares kids, but…”

Alice cleared her throat. “We need to do our jobs,” she said, voice quivering. Will could tell she was trying to keep it together for the younger kids. “I’m going to take anyone who’s not h-hurt,” she stuttered, “back to the cabin unless they’ve been cleared to work in the infirmary. Will, you can handle organization for that?”

Will nodded silently.

“Great,” Alice said, straightening up. She gathered the kids and ushered them away from the battle scene.

“She’s right,” Michael said quietly. Will helped him stand up. Michael looked worse for the wear, but he stood up straight. “People are hurt, and it’s our job to help them. Lee… Lee put Will pretty much in charge of the infirmary,” he said with a small smile, “so consider him still in charge of that.”

Will managed his own small smile. “Right. Um, okay. We need to clear the grounds, so we need to direct anyone who can be moved to the infirmary. If someone needs help walking, try to get one of the other campers to help them. We need all hands on deck here in case someone is hurt badly.”

Beckendorf walked up to them. He was cut up and bruised, but otherwise okay. His eyes dropped to Lee’s body. He seemed reluctant to say anything, but Will knew why he was here.

“Let’s get going,” he said to his siblings. “Come on.”

Kayla and Austin got the hint and started off towards the injured campers, prompting the rest of their siblings to do so. Finally, it was just Michael, Will, and Beckendorf.

“We’re moving everyone,” Beckendorf said quietly. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“You’re good,” Will assured him.

Beckendorf frowned. “I’m sorry.”

Will led Michael away as Beckendorf leaned down to pick up Lee’s body.

.

It was the first time they had wrapped actual bodies in burial shrouds.

Sure, they had burnt Percy and Annabeth’s shrouds when they returned from their first quest, and only days earlier Annabeth had burned Percy’s shroud before Percy revealed himself to be alive, but those times had been different.

Pollux, Castor’s twin, had been the one to light the funeral pyre. Within seconds, the row of shrouds was engulfed in fire, sending smoke and sparks up to the stars.

The next day, Will spent all his time in the infirmary tending to broken bones, concussions, and a variety of other wounds.

Not once did the mysterious new boy show up.

He was clearly injured from whatever trick he had done raising dead soldiers, but Will hadn’t seen him anywhere.

Michael was instated as head of Apollo cabin which would have been an honor under different circumstances. He sulked around the infirmary in a daze until he was called away to his first head counselor meeting.

Dinner was a welcome relief. The mood was still sad, but it was nice to get out of the infirmary for a while, Will reluctantly admitted to himself.

The one strange thing was the mystery boy who hung in the shadows at the edge of the pavilion instead of sitting at a table.

“Who is that?” Will asked, remembering with a pang that it was the last thing he asked Lee.

Michael looked over. His face tightened. “Does it matter?”

“I saw him fighting yesterday. It was incredible,” Will answered in confusion. “I’ve never seen him at Camp, so I was just curious. Don’t you wonder where he learned all that sword fighting?”

“Not anymore,” Michael said shortly, stabbing at his food with his fork. He sighed when Will crossed his arms. “His name is Nico di Angelo, okay? I guess he was at Camp for a week last winter before he ran away.”

“That’s Nico di Angelo?” Will gapped. “But he’s so… different.”

Michael shook his head. “Of course he’s  _ different _ ,” he said bitterly. “He’s the son of Hades.”

Will blinked. Son of Hades? But the Big Three weren’t supposed to have kids. Well, considering Poseidon and Zeus both broke the oath with Percy and Thalia respectively, he supposed Hades breaking the oath with Bianca and Nico di Angelo wasn’t too far out of the realm of possibility.

All the same, he couldn’t quite place the happy, excitable, and  _ annoying _ boy Nico had been last winter as the son of the pale god Will had seen years ago at the Winter Solstice meeting.

“Bringer of death and all that,” Michael grumbled.

Kayla gave Michael a disapproving look. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“We lost good people yesterday, Kayla,” Michael said angrily. “There’s a reason we don’t have a cabin for Hades here, and it’s not because he’s not an Olympian.”

“There are twelve cabins for the twelve Olympians,” Kayla hissed. “The reason there is no Hades cabin is the same reason there is no cabin for Hecate or Nike or any other minor god or goddess. Lee is  _ not _ dead because of Nico di Angelo.”

“I don’t care,” Michael said through clenched teeth. He moved to the end of the table, away from Kayla and Will.

Will stared at the shadows Nico stood in.

“What are you thinking?” Kayla asked.

“I’m thinking he should be eating something,” Will said flatly. He looked at her. “Why’s he standing in the shadows?”

Kayla shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he doesn’t feel welcome here. Maybe he likes the shadows as much as you like the infirmary,” she said with a grin. “Maybe a lot of things.” She shook her head. “Okay. I’ll bite. What’s with the fascination with Nico di Angelo?”

“He was annoying,” Will said absently, eyes still trained on Nico. “Cecil introduced us. Blabbed on and on about Mythomagic. He got quiet and reclusive after his sister left on the quest. I think he knew she died. He felt it or something. I also think Percy lied about the crack in the floor. I don’t think it was him. I think it was Nico.”

Kayla gave him a look. “You’ve spent the better part of the last six months thinking about this?”

Will’s face turned red. “Well, when you say it like that-”

“That’s adorable,” Kayla snickered.

“Shut up,” Will mumbled. “It’s not like  _ that _ .”

Kayla didn’t say anything for a while. Then she sighed. “You know, my dad is mortal, right?”

Will frowned. “Yeah. So what?”

“So it would be okay if you liked him. Nico, I mean,” she clarified.

Oh. To be honest, Will hadn’t actually thought about  _ anyone _ yet.

“I mean, the gods aren’t exactly known for sticking to relationships with the opposite gender,” Kayla continued awkwardly. “Especially not our father. And I’m only teasing you about Nico, but if I’m hurting you or-”

“Please stop,” Will said, a light flush on his face. “I do not need this conversation with my sister. Or anyone.”

“Right,” Kayla said, laughing hesitantly.

At the campfire, they were treated to a nice surprise to see Chris Rodriguez out of the infirmary and madness free.

“Mr. D cured him,” Austin explained.

Clarisse was sitting next to Chris who seemed much more happier and carefree than he had been when Will first got to Camp. He smiled as he spoke to the daughter of Ares, and his eyes sparkled in a way they hadn’t before. Some of the other campers gave him wary looks, but most seemed to welcome him back.

Percy showed up after the sing-along had already started. He slunk in and made his way to where Tyson was sitting.

Nico didn’t show up at all.

In fact, Nico seemed to have disappeared from Camp completely.

After about a week with no sight of Nico, Will finally decided to ask Percy.

Percy seemed sad. “He left. I asked him to stay, but… well, it’s obvious children of Hades aren’t welcome here. He’ll be okay. I just wish he didn’t have to go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leeeeeee... nooooooo! Ugh, tears. I'm okay. I'll be okay. Eventually. Alright, here we go. Battle of the Labyrinth is finished. On to the between that and Last Olympian.
> 
> And can I say that any of my readers who have attempted a "characters read the books" fic, I have a healthy respect for those of you who actually finished the story or even those of you who did half the book. I got bored and decided to start one where the counselors and Chiron read from partway through Percy XLVIII of Mark of Athena through House of Hades and through Blood of Olympus. I'm on Leo IX in House of Hades and it's rough. Balancing the book text with the character commentary is really hard. So... respect for you guys.
> 
> Oh! Right. That reference in the last chapter or the character channeling, whatever you want to call it. The Ares kid that said "So what do we do? Dagger in, dagger out?" I was thinking about Poe from Star Wars: The Force Awakens when he gets captured. I believe his line goes like: "So what do we do? You talk first, I talk first?" But anyway, that would be who I channeled to write that line.
> 
> And I've rambled long enough, so goodnight and don't let the bedbugs bite.


	21. Philadelphia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable text from the Bronze Dragon

As disappointing as it was that Nico had disappeared, the rest of the summer was quite chaotic in Will’s opinion. Especially two weeks after the battle.

They were getting ready for Capture the Flag. Apollo cabin was on the blue team with Hephaestus, Hermes, and Poseidon. The red team was made up of Athena, Ares, Aphrodite, Dionysus, and Demeter.

“Right,” Percy said when the whole blue team gathered together. “Beckendorf and I will scout around the left flank, locate the red team’s flag, knock out the defenders, and get the flag back to our side.”

“Why left flank?” Beckendorf asked curiously.

Percy looked smug. “Because Annabeth wanted me to go right, which means she doesn’t want us to go left.”

Will could think of a hundred reasons why Annabeth told Percy to go right. None of them were because the flag was left.

“Travis, Connor, lead your cabin up the middle,” Beckendorf ordered. “You’re the distraction.”

Travis grinned. “We excel at distraction.”

“Counting on it,” Percy nodded with an equally devious grin.

“Which leaves your cabin on defense,” Beckendorf told Michael.

Michael gripped his bow. “Your cabin guards the flag, we guard them?” He looked around. “Sounds good.”

Beckendorf nodded then looked at Percy. “Let’s suit up.”

Will looked at the armor Beckendorf and Percy were wearing. It was strange looking at at times, Will had trouble locating them as the armor seemed to change to match the background.

Twenty minutes into the game, Will could have sworn he heard a scream, but nothing happened. Fifteen minutes later, there was a sound like a mini-explosion.

Michael shifted warily. “Ares cabin.”

A column of fire blew into the sky.

“Ares cabin?” Kayla asked sarcastically.

“Beckendorf?” Michael tried.

Then the Ares kids broke through the trees and charged. Will yelped and dodged sword after sword, attempting to use his bow.

The fighting ensued for a few more minutes before a much bigger explosion happened. Everyone froze and turned towards the direction of the explosion. Arcs of blue electricity cracked and danced across the forest. A triumphant roar echoed.

“Thalia?” Michael said, voice cracking in panic. “The Hunters are here?”

There were more flames before everything stopped and went quiet.

Clarisse was the first to react and she yelled out a battle cry before diving at the flag which she managed to grab. Her siblings covered her while she sprinted away.

“Maybe Percy and Beckendorf had better luck,” Austin suggested.

Apparently not. Both the boys looked worse for the wear when they were released from jail.

“What happened?” Connor asked in amazement.

Percy glared at him. “I hate girls. Stupid Myremykes. Stupid Annabeth.” He stomped off, missing a shoe and sock.

“I think Annabeth caught them,” Will volunteered.

.

“I’m heading home,” Kayla announced to them.

Michael raised an eyebrow. “You are?”

Kayla nodded. “It’s just… well, it’s no secret that something’s going to happen when Percy turns sixteen. That’s next summer. I haven’t seen my dad in a while and…” she trailed off. “Anyway, I just want to see him.”

“Be safe,” was all Michael said.

Kayla wasn’t the only one with the same mindset. It seemed like a lot of the year round campers had the same idea to go home to be with their mortal family.

Will would have gone home except two things. One, he had a strong suspicion that things were going to get bad and his healing skills might be needed. Two, he was still shaken up over Alabaster Torrington’s visit a year ago.

It would be nice to get out of Camp for even a few days though…

Will shook his head. Better not risk it.

“Hey,” Cecil greeted him. “Ready for the next year of battle preparations?”

“Not really,” Will answered back honestly.

Cecil sighed. “Yeah. Me neither.”

.

Percy came by Camp from time to time. He seemed bothered by something. The first time he came, Percy went to Chiron. Will watched them.

“-thinks he might have a way to help me fight Luke,” Percy told Chiron. “I told him I had to think about it.”

Chiron looked thoughtful. “I assume young Nico did some research while in his father’s realm or asked around? What is his plan, Percy?”

“It’s nothing,” Percy said quickly. “I just wondered if you had any ideas. So I know all my options.”

Percy had spoken to Nico. Nico had told Percy about something to help him defeat Luke. Hope blossomed in Will’s chest. Maybe they stood a chance against Kronos.

One thing nagged at him though. What was Nico’s solution?

Will ran through the original myth in his head. The Titanomachy lasted eleven years, and half the Titans remained neutral. The gods had finally been able to defeat the Titans with the aid of the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkhaires. Zeus had taken Kronos’ scythe and cut him up into a thousand pieces before casting him into Tartarus.

He highly doubted Percy would be chopping up Kronos. Not to mention, Will was pretty sure they had said something about all but one of the Hekatonkhaires fading away. Perhaps Nico had located the Elder Cyclopes? Unless they had faded too.

“How do you suppose Kronos will be defeated?” Will asked Michael hesitantly. “I overheard Percy telling Chiron that Nico had an idea, but-” He cut off quickly, realizing his mistake.

Michael frowned. “The son of Hades is giving out tips now? Great.”

“You don’t have to be so rude,” Will said angrily. “I knew Nico for that week he was here. Bit annoying, but he was actually a nice guy. Just because his dad is the god of the Underworld doesn’t mean Nico’s a bad kid. In case you’ve forgotten, he raised a whole army to fight Luke’s army. He tired himself out doing that too.” Will crossed his arms. “I was just wondering if you had any idea what he might have meant. I tried to think of something, but I can’t come up with any plan that might work. Unless Percy gets Kronos’ scythe to chop him up.”

Michael shook his head. “What is it with you and di Angelo?” he muttered. He sighed. “I don’t know, Will. Zeus and Poseidon will probably fight Kronos. If there’s a big fight, I guess we’d only be there to fight the monsters.” He paused. “Chiron’s worried about Typhon. He’s… stirring, I guess. He thinks Kronos is waiting for Typhon to wake, and then he’ll make his move while the gods are busy fighting Typhon.”

“But that means-”

“Yeah.”

.

When summer came and the Camp was filled with campers, there was a nervous air about the camp. Percy Jackson spent most of his time training, even giving a serious attempt to learn archery. There was less focus on horse riding or canoeing overall. The head counselors met frequently, but the content of the meetings were kept under wraps.

“Chiron’s worried about spies,” Michael finally admitted. “We don’t know if there are any, but for now I can only tell you what I’ve been given permission to tell you. So don’t ask.”

In July, the news that a tour bus carrying a bunch of monsters across the country had blown up reached Camp. Beckendorf grinned, and Percy complimented him.

“Greek firebomb,” Beckendorf explained with a shrug. “Rigged it to the bathroom so it would go off if any monster tried to flush the toilet.”

Travis and Connor cracked up and begged him to rig one of the camp bathrooms like that which was quickly turned down by an alarmed Chiron.

Percy and Beckendorf had started hanging out and whispering to each other. Often, they were down at the near empty beach blowing up hastily assembled boats which Will had to wonder about their sanity.

A couple weeks later, Michael announced that they were going on a mission with the Ares cabin. Missions weren’t uncommon, but so far, Apollo cabin had yet to go out. Chiron had deemed them too important as healers to lose.

“Where are we going?” Kayla sighed.

“Philadelphia,” Michael answered. “Some of Luke’s demigods are there.” He bit his lip. “Chiron said no one has to go that doesn’t want to go. We’re going to be fighting people we know probably.”

“I’m going,” Will said. “Someone has to make sure you guys don’t bleed out,” he grumbled.

“Ouch,” Alice said flatly. “Glad to know you think so highly of us, Will.”

Will grinned. “In all matters except health, Alice.”

.

“Hi, again,” a familiar voice said from behind Will.

Will spun around, notching an arrow smoothly. He flinched back in shock. “You!”

“You remember me,” Alabaster smiled. “Will, wasn’t it?”

“What do you want?” Will said through gritted teeth. “I told you I would never join your side.”

“That’s a shame,” the son of Hecate said. He drew his golden sword from nowhere. “We’ll be in New York by the end of the week. Not too late to join the winning side, Will.”

Will’s bow lowered slightly. “New York? What do you mean?”

“How else would we overthrow the gods?” Alabaster asked. He smirked. “A whole cruise ship at our disposal and-”

“WILL!” Alice shouted. She sent an arrow flying between him and Alabaster.

Alabaster turned a furious look on Alice. A thin red line was visible on his nose. He raised his sword, and Clarisse’s spear rose to meet it.

“Daughter of Ares!” Alabaster said in surprise. His surprise quickly melted into a smug look. “How’s Chris Rodriguez these days?”

Clarisse growled and jabbed at him with the electric end of her spear. “Erre es korakas!” she screamed.

“Come on!” Alice yelled, dragging Will away. She frowned. “Why weren’t you doing anything? He could have killed you!”

“I…” Will stammered. “He… he tried to recruit me a while ago.”

“ _ WHAT? _ ” Alice shrieked. “You didn’t say  _ yes _ ?”

Will shook his head wildly. “No way! He just surprised me that’s all. You can’t tell Michael! He and… he and Lee didn’t want me leaving in case something like that happened. Please, Alice!”

Alice gave him a long look. “I won’t tell Michael. Yet.”

“Will!” Michael called in relief. He hurried over. “Couldn’t find you. You okay?”

“I’m good,” Will assured him. “But I think Luke’s sailing for New York in that ship. One of the demigods said they’d be in New York by the end of the week.”

Michael cursed. “I’ll let Chiron know. Where’s Clarisse?”

“Here,” Clarisse said gruffly. She looked irritated. “Hecate’s kid. Used the Mist against me to get away. They’re retreating.”

Michael grinned. “Excellent. Check it out,” he said gesturing to a chariot tethered to a couple pegasi behind him. “Cool, huh? Some of Luke’s guys were using it, but we took it off their hands,” he cackled joyfully.

“Let’s get out of here,” Alice said nervously. “Chiron will need to know what Will heard. Come on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh the infamous flying chariot. I almost forgot about it. Well, I knew about it, but I meant I almost forgot how they got the chariot in the first place. Anyway, that was my take on what happened in Philadelphia.


	22. Promise of Greatness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable text from the Last Olympian

“What is it?” Chiron said when Michael and Will rushed over to him. “Did something happen?”

Will shook his head. “Ala- One of the demigods there told me something. He said that they’ll be in New York by the end of the week. I think he meant Luke’s boat.”

Chiron’s face grew stoney. “Michael, please go gather the rest of the head counselors. We’ll discuss this matter with them.” He looked at Will. “Don’t tell anyone else about this, Will. You understand why.”

“The spy,” Will said quietly.

Chiron nodded. “Precisely.”

When Will and Michael left the Big House, Clarisse and a few of her siblings were glaring at Alice and Kayla.

“What now?” Michael shouted in exasperation. “Clarisse!”

“Tell your sisters to stop being stupid,” Clarisse yelled at Michael. “Our raid, our chariot!”

Michael blinked. “ _ Your _ chariot?” he asked incredulously. “ _ We _ took the chariot from Luke’s guys, not you! It’s  _ our _ chariot!”

Will watched the shouting match with wide eyes.

“Who led this mission? Ares Cabin! If it was our mission, then that means it’s our stuff!”

“I didn’t see a single one of your siblings helping us fend off Luke’s guys in order to get the chariot! Apollo Cabin did all the work to get the chariot!”

“That’s because we were busy killing monsters and defeating the enemy!”

“And we took a flying chariot away from them! Now Luke can’t use that!”

Annabeth appeared next to Will. “What happened?”

“We went on a mission,” Will explained. “Took this flying chariot from Luke’s guys,” Will noted how Annabeth tensed up at Luke’s name, “and now Michael and Clarisse are arguing over who owns the chariot.”

“Perfect,” Annabeth muttered.

“Chiron wanted Michael to gather all the head counselors, but I don’t think that’s going to get done any time soon at the rate this argument is going,” Will added.

Annabeth sighed. “I’ll handle it. Thanks, Will.” She jogged off towards Travis and Connor to tell them about the meeting.

Will winced as the shouting got louder.

.

Beckendorf left for the stables dressed for combat a few days later. He wore a bronze breastplate and war helm with black camo pants and a sword strapped to his side. A bag was slung over his shoulder. He left the stables with the black pegasus Percy always seemed to like.

Silena, his girlfriend, gave him a kiss and watched him fly off. She looked distraught.

“What’s going on?” Will asked Kayla.

Kayla exhaled. “You know how Percy and Beckendorf have been blowing up boats? They’ve been preparing for an attack on Luke’s boat.”

“Which is on it’s way to New York,” Will said with wide eyes. “They’re going to blow it up? When did this happen?”

“They decided on it the day you told Chiron about what you heard,” Kayla said in amusement. “You’ve been really out of it lately. Guess you missed it.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve got a lot of things going on in my mind,” Will grumbled. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re basically in the middle of a war.”

“I noticed,” Kayla said quietly. “I… when I went home in the fall I told my dad about Lee. I said there had been a monster attack, but that the problem was fixed now and no more monsters would be getting in. I wanted to tell him about Luke and Kronos and everything, but… I just couldn’t. I don’t want him to worry about me fighting in a war, and I don’t want him to keep me from fighting either.”

Will’s mouth was dry. “I… I haven’t told my mom anything. I have to go. I have to tell her something. Oh gods, I haven’t written or video chatted with her in months. She’s probably freaking out.” He spun away from Kayla and sprinted to the Big House. “Chiron!”

“Yes, Will?” Chiron asked in confusion.

Will paused to catch his breath. “I need to speak to my mom. Can I video chat with her real quick?”

Chiron’s face seemed to soften. “Don’t be too long.” He let Will into the Big House, then left to give him privacy.

Will’s foot bounced as he waited for the connection to load. “Come on, come on,” he muttered.

“Will?” Naomi’s face filled the screen. She smiled brightly. “Is that you?”

“Hi, mom,” Will said quietly. “I’m sorry I haven’t sent anything. Things have been… well, things have been different.”

Naomi’s smile fell. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Is there something going on at Camp?”

“Lee died,” Will blurted. “Last… last year. June. A bunch of monsters got into Camp. And-” he stopped.

“And?” Naomi pressed.

“Do you remember I told you about Luke?” Will asked hesitantly.

Naomi frowned. “That boy that left camp? Two years ago now, right?”

“That was Nico,” Will corrected. “Luke left four years ago.”

“You said he tried to hurt one of the other campers,” Naomi recalled. “Then he left. Yes, I remember that.”

Will swallowed. “Well, um, that wasn’t the whole story. He  _ did _ hurt someone. Percy Jackson. Luke almost killed him, actually. He… Luke’s been trying to help Kronos overthrow the gods. He sent the monsters that killed Lee last year.” Will’s voice wobbled. “Kayla said she didn’t tell her dad anything, but… you deserve to know the truth.”

“Will,” Naomi said, voice cracking.

Will looked down. “I have to stay. I’m the best healer here. If there’s a battle, then I have to be able to help.”

“He told me you were going to be special, you know,” Naomi said quietly. “Apollo, I mean. He promised me that you would be great.” She snorted. “Well, something like that. Did you know his limericks could use a little work?”

Will grinned. “He moved onto haikus. Most end with  _ I am so awesome _ .” His face turned serious. “Mom, stay out of New York. One of Luke’s allies said that's where they’re heading.”

“I want to hear from you as soon as this is over,” Naomi said steely. She gave him a proud smile. “Make sure you’re eating good and taking care of yourself. You’ll need your energy if you have to be running around healing people.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Will scoffed. “My siblings and the rest of the campers are the ones you need to worry about. I’ve been trying to get them to be healthier for years!”

Naomi laughed. “I love you, Will.”

“Love you too, mom.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Will stared at the screen as it went blank. He inhaled deeply and then exhaled. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

A conch horn blew in the distance.

Will got up and started heading toward the horn. He joined the others in procession and saw Percy at the top of the sand dunes with Connor who had been on guard duty apparently. He frowned when Percy ignored them and just went straight to the dining pavilion. Will glanced around. Beckendorf was nowhere to be found.

Oh. _ Oh _ . Will’s heart sank. Not Beckendorf too.

Chiron galloped into the pavilion first. He wore a green T-shirt that said MY OTHER CAR IS A CENTAUR and a bow slung over his back.

"Percy!" he said. "Thank the gods. But where…”

Annabeth ran in right behind him.

"What happened?" She grabbed his arm. "Is Luke—"

"The ship blew up," Percy said. "He wasn't destroyed. I don't know where—"

Silena Beauregard pushed through the crowd. Her hair wasn't combed and she wasn't even wearing makeup, which wasn't like her.

"Where's Charlie?" she demanded, looking around.

Will crossed his fingers.  _ Please be alive. _

Chiron cleared his throat. “Silena, my dear, let's talk about this at the Big House—"

"No," Silena muttered. "No. No." She started to cry.

Everyone around Will had their mouths opened with stunned looks. Only Clarisse moved. She put her arm around Silena.

"Come on, girl," she said. "Let's get to the Big House. I'll make you some hot chocolate." She guided Silena away from the attention.

Will turned dejectedly to walk back to his cabin.

Austin looked up when he walked in. “What’s going on?”

“Beckendorf’s gone,” Will said hollowly. “Him and Percy’s mission went wrong I guess.”

Austin’s jaw dropped. “What? No way. Beckendorf? But… but he’s so…” he trailed off. He looked at Will in horror. “Oh gods. Silena! Is she okay? Does she know?”

“She’s with, um, you-know-who,” Will said with a glance around to make sure Michael wasn’t there. “Clarisse.”

“Oh,” Austin said, pinching his lips together. “Her.”

Ever since the mission to Philadelphia with the Ares cabin, tensions had been running high. Clarisse had not spoken to anyone in the Apollo cabin in three days, and both sides refused to admit the other had a better claim to the chariot. Chiron had agreed that since Michael had recovered it, he had a better claim than Clarisse, but Clarisse hadn’t stopped coming up with reasons that she had the better claim. At this point, Will was ready to just make the chariot a camp chariot. The fighting was getting old.

Unfortunately, things were about to get a whole lot worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this yesterday... So anyway, here's this chapter.


	23. Crush and Cuss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crush and Cuss? What a strange chapter title. Please hold all questions till the end of the chapter because they should all be answered by the time you finish.
> 
> Recognizable sections from the Last Olympian

Michael returned to the cabin looking shaken. He sat down on his bed.

“What happened?” Alice asked urgently.

“Well, Clarisse has decided that Ares will not help us fight,” Michael said with a frown. “Which, I guess might suck, but I say good riddance.”

“Did anything important happen?” Will sighed. “Like anything that has nothing to do with petty arguments?”

Michael glared, but the shaken look returned. “Percy read the Great Prophecy to us.”

Kayla sat up. “What? He did?” She saw the look on Michael’s face though, because she asked, “How bad is it?”

“ _ A half-blood of the eldest gods / Shall reach sixteen against all odds _ ,” Michael recited. “ _ And see the world in endless sleep / The hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap / A single choice shall end his days / Olympus to preserve or raze _ . R-a-z-e, by the way.”

“So after everything that’s happened,” Austin said quietly, “Percy’s going to die in the end anyway?”

“Maybe,” Alice whispered. “Maybe not. Prophecies aren’t always clear. It’s all in the wording, right? The hero might not even be Percy.”

“Who else could it be?” Will asked her. “Percy’s always been the hero. He’s the one we all thought would fight Kronos and win. Now we know he will, but… he won’t survive it.”

“I hate this,” Michael grumbled, leaning back on his bed. “I haven’t even gotten to the best news. Typhon is awake and all the Olympians are fighting him. Except Poseidon who is fighting Oceanus. Which means that no one is protecting Olympus. Percy thinks Typhon is a distraction for the gods.”

“Typhon? We’re all gonners,” Alice moaned.

Kayla smacked her arm. “Don’t think like that. The gods stopped him before, they can do it again.”

“I bet they had Poseidon’s help,” Austin muttered.

“Hades too,” Will added.

Michael scoffed. “Poseidon is busy trying to keep control of the oceans. Hades is busy not caring about anyone up here.”

“He should care,” Will defended the god. “Kronos will destroy him if he wins.”

Michael didn’t say anything which Will thought was probably smart of him. Who knew how far you could go with insulting a god.

.

Percy seemed to be in a trance the next morning at breakfast. He stared blankly at the fissure in the marble floor. The fissure Will was now almost certain Nico di Angelo had caused,  _ not  _ Percy contrary to what the son of Poseidon had claimed.

“Obsessed,” Kayla said, knocking Will back to reality.

Will jolted. “Huh?”

Kayla glanced at the crack. “Nico di Angelo. That crack. Nico di Angelo. Need I go on?”

“What?” Michael asked sharply.

“Will has an obsession,” Kayla snickered.

“I do not!” Will protested. “I’m just curious about the crack.”

Michael frowned. “Uh, Percy Jackson did that remember?”

Kayla grinned. “Will got this idea in his head that Nico di Angelo caused the crack, and Percy was just covering up for him. Which meant that his obsession with the crack in the floor only added fuel to his Nico di Angelo obsession. Does someone have a little crush?”

Will was sure his face was red. “Shut up, Kayla. I don’t even know Nico. Well, I know the annoying kid that was at Camp for a week.”

“You like di Angelo?” Michael gapped. “What…  _ how _ … what? But he’s… death and darkness.”

“I do not like him!” Will argued. “Kayla’s blowing this out of proportion. He was acting different after his sister left on that quest, and then he ran away when he found out she was dead. Then there was a mysterious fissure in the floor the next day that Percy claimed he did, but it didn’t sound too convincing so I figured he wasn’t telling the truth. It’s just curiosity.”

“Wait, Will likes someone?” Austin said sitting next to Kayla.

“Oh really? Who?” Alice asked eagerly, sitting across from Austin next to Michael.

Will glared at them. “Will does not like anyone like how it’s being implied. Don’t we have more important things to be worrying about now anyway?”

Michael’s expression looked positively devious. “Oh yes. Rhyming curses?”

“Not  _ that _ ,” Will groaned.

“Will, that chariot was recovered by us fair and square,” Michael said loudly so the Ares cabin could hear. “Show some Apollo pride.”

“I am by not getting involved,” Will muttered under his breath. “I meant worrying about all the missions and mini battles.”

“Luke and Kronos aren’t going to win,” Michael said confidently. “Besides, it’s no use worrying until we actually have to fight him. And I doubt we’ll have to.”

“I swear you’ve jinxed us,” Austin mumbled.

.

Will watched the commons area with a mixture of horror and amusement.

Michael and Alice were in the flying chariot dumping firebombs over the Ares cabin. The roof was burning, and naiads from the canoe lake rushed over to put the fires out.

The Ares campers called down a curse, and Will’s siblings found they now had rubber arrows. They kept shooting, but the arrows were now bouncing off the Ares kids.

“Curse me, eh? I’ll make you pay! / I don’t want to rhyme all day!” someone shouted.

Will turned to see Sherman chasing Kayla and Austin, the apparent culprits of the rhyming curse.

“Ahrg!”

Michael and Alice had just decided dive-bombing Ares campers was a good idea. Ellis Wakefield and Sherman Yang tried to stab at the chariot and were cussing them out in rhyming couplets. Will had to admit it was pretty creative how the cuss words rhymed, but still, he realized in a panic, it was not appropriate for the younger campers to be hearing.

“Vlacas!” Will exclaimed. “Shut up! We have young kids here!”

“Does it look like we care?” Ellis yelled. “Go away or we’ll chop off your hair!”

Will blinked. He shuffled off to usher the younger kids away from the screaming and cursing.

.

Will was grateful his siblings and the Ares cabin could call a temporary truce long enough to honor Beckendorf.

That afternoon they assembled at the campfire to burn Beckendorf's burial shroud and say good-bye. Beckendorf's shroud was made out of metal links, like chain mail. The metal melted in the fire and turned to golden smoke, which rose into the sky. The campfire flames always reflected the campers' moods, and today they burned black.

Will waited for his siblings to leave. He sat in the Apollo section as he watched Percy wander down to talk to Silena. Whatever he said made her start crying harder, but she managed to give Percy a water smile before she left.

Will sighed as Percy spoke to Clarisse who charged Percy until Chris got between them. Clarisse stormed off with Chris running after her. Will jumped up and went after Chris.

“Chris!” Will called. “Wait up!”

Chris paused when Clarisse slammed her cabin door. He turned to look at Will. “Hey. Will, right?”

Will nodded. “Yeah. Um, I was wondering if I could talk to you? Well, more like ask you about something. Someone actually.”

A dark look fell over Chris. “Who? I’ve already told Chiron all I know about Luke’s plans, and I’m not the spy if that’s what you were wondering.”

“That’s not it!” Will said, shaking his head. “Do you mind if we go somewhere more private?”

Some of his nervousness and uncertainty must have been very apparent because Chris’ face softened and he nodded.

They walked in silence to the sword fighting arena which was vacant of the giant hellhound pet Percy kept there. That was a slight relief to Will, but also a little concerning. Mrs. O’Leary had grown on him though.

“What did you want to talk about?” Chris asked.

Will took a deep breath. “Do you remember Alabaster Torrington?”

“Son of Hecate?” Chris asked, face scrunching up. “Yeah, I remember him. Why? Has he talked to you?” he asked warily. “Is that what this is? You’re trying to get me back on Luke’s side? You can tell Torrington that I’m not coming back.”

“That’s not it either!” Will sighed. “He… he tried to recruit me. Twice. Once when I went home for my 12th birthday, and the last time was on the mission Chiron sent us on. I just… I was hoping you might know why he keeps trying to get me.”

Chris frowned and stared out at the empty arena. “In the beginning, Luke targeted demigods that were kids of minor gods and goddesses or were unclaimed like me. He also wanted to get powerful demigods.” He gave Will an apologetic look. “No offense, but you aren’t either. I mean, you’re pretty powerful healing wise, so maybe that’s why, but…”

“I can’t shoot,” Will filled in dryly. “Yeah I know. He told me Kronos could give me the ability.”

Chris looked alarmed. “What? Will, I don’t think he was… I mean, Kronos wouldn’t just hand out a gift like that. He-” Chris cut himself off with an odd look. “When did you come to camp again?”

“I was ten,” Will said helpfully. “Almost four years ago.”

“Why did you come so early?”

Will shrugged. “The satyr that came to get me said it was only a matter of time before the monsters figured out who I was. Why?”

Chris didn’t say anything. Finally, he looked at Will. “Just be careful. If you see Alabaster again, don’t listen to him.”

.

“Here is your daily dose of Typhon updates,” Cecil said glumly. He was sitting on one of the beds in the infirmary while Will cleaned up.

“Oh joy,” Will said sarcastically.

Cecil sighed. “He’s reached St. Louis. It’s… Will, you can sometimes see the gods fighting him. And the master bolt barely does any damage. I don’t know how they managed to defeat him the first time.” He looked down.

Will’s stomach clenched. “They stopped him once, they can stop him again.”

“Typhon is halfway across the U.S., Will! I don’t think the gods are slowing him down. I-” He was cut off by Annabeth running in, clutching a cell phone.

“Annabeth?” Will asked in alarm.

“No time to explain,” she said quickly. “Gear up. We’re going to the Empire State Building. Percy left a message. Come on!” she ran back out of the infirmary.

Will and Cecil looked at each other for a moment before jumping up.

“Help me carry as much supplies as we can!” Will ordered. He started tossing bags of ambrosia and bottles of nectar into a large bag.

Cecil grabbed rolls of bandages and gauze. Together they made quick work and had filled two bags each.

“Will, thank the gods,” Michael said in relief. He helped them load the bags onto one of the buses they were going to take into the city. “I grabbed your armor and bow,” he added, handing Will said items.

Will gratefully put it on before getting on the bus. He gave one last glance out the window at Camp as they pulled away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun duh! Here we go. Time to get ready to fight.
> 
> Anyone else curious about how Camp responded to Chris? Like, he was on Luke's side, but then he went mad in the Labyrinth and the Mr. D healed him and he was on the gods' side. I mean, only Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson really encountered him as a bad guy, but still. Anyway, I get the feeling that Chris would be a little cautious around the other campers, but I really don't know what the other campers would be like around him.
> 
> So, sorry about the long updates. Thought I'd give you two chapters in the same day to make up for it. Although, it might be worse because now I've just left you on a lil cliffhanger right before the battle. Eh, on second thought, Rick's been training us for these kinds of things our whole lives.


	24. Return to Olympus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from the Last Olympian
> 
> Also, Happy Cinco de Mayo! Why we celebrate this when I have been told Mexico doesn't is a mystery to me, but all the same, a very happy day to you all.

Annabeth’s phone rang as they drove through Queens.

“Percy, where have you been?” she shouted into the phone. “Your message said almost nothing! We've been worried sick!"

Given that she hadn’t informed them about anything Percy told her, that might have been a stretch, but Will admitted that knowing Percy had disappeared after Beckendorf’s funeral was slightly worrying.

"We're on our way like you asked, almost to the Queens—Midtown Tunnel. But, Percy, what are you planning?” Annabeth asked. “We've left the camp virtually undefended, and there's no way the gods—" she paused. Percy must have cut her off. She let the phone drop into her lap a few seconds later.

“Annabeth?” her brother Malcolm asked hesitantly.

“I’m okay. Just worried,” she said quietly.

Finally, the buses pulled up to the curb in front of the Empire State Building. Will inhaled shakily as he remembered the last time they had left the bus here.

_ Luke, Connor, Travis, Annabeth, Lee, Michael, Cecil, Will, Castor, Pollux, Clarisse, Sherman Yang, Ellis Wakefield, and Katie Gardner exited the bus and walked into the Empire State Building. _

_ “Try not to disrespect the gods,” Luke hissed to Travis and Connor. “I don’t want to clean up the ashes after Zeus strikes you with his bolt or something.” _

_ Cecil’s eyes went wide. “They’re going to kill us?” _

_ “No!” Annabeth snapped, frowning at Luke. “No one is going to kill you as long as you behave and be respectful to the gods. Luke, stop scaring them.” _

What Will wouldn’t give to be back in that moment. This was the day everything started to go wrong. Luke had stolen the Master Bolt and the Helm of Darkness at this meeting.

Now they were a group of forty nervous half-bloods dressed for battle and waiting for instructions.

Percy was waiting for them with Mrs. O’Leary. He scanned everyone’s faces as Annabeth came up to him. He looked at her strangely.

“What is it?” she frowned.

“What’s what?”

“You’re looking at me funny.”

Percy looked away. “It’s, uh, nothing.” He looked back at the group. “Thanks for coming, everybody. Chiron, after you."

Chiron shook his head. "I came to wish you luck, my boy. But I make it a point never to visit Olympus unless I am summoned."

"But you're our leader," Percy protested.

He smiled. "I am your trainer, your teacher. That is not the same as being your leader. I will go gather what allies I can. It may not be too late to convince my brother centaurs to help. Meanwhile, you called the campers here, Percy. You are the leader."

Percy looked like a deer in headlights, but he took a deep breath. “Okay, like I told Annabeth on the phone, something bad is going to happen by tonight. Some kind of trap. We've got to get an audience with Zeus and convince him to defend the city. Remember, we can't take no for an answer." He looked at Argus who had driven one of the buses. “Argus, can you watch Mrs. O’Leary for me?”

Will didn’t think he looked too happy about that, but the multi-eyed man agreed reluctantly.

Chiron shook Percy’s hand. "You'll do well, Percy. Just remember your strengths and beware your weaknesses."

An odd look passed over Percy’s face. He shook it off and nodded, failing to give what he probably thought was a confident smile.

“Let’s go,” he said to the rest of the campers.

A security guard was sitting behind the desk in the lobby, reading a big black book with a flower on the cover. He glanced up when they all filled in with their weapons and armor clanking. "School group? We're about to close up."

"No," Percy said. "Six-hundredth floor."

The security guard checked them out. "There is no six-hundredth floor, kid." He said it like it was a required line he didn't believe. "Move along."

Percy leaned across the desk. "Forty demigods attract an awful lot of monsters. You really want us hanging out in your lobby?"

He thought about that. Then he hit a buzzer and the security gate swung open. "Make it quick."

"You don't want us going through the metal detectors," Percy added.

"Um, no," he agreed. "Elevator on the right. I guess you know the way." 

Percy tossed him a golden drachma and we marched ill rough.

“Two groups,” Annabeth said. She split everyone up into the two groups.

Maybe it was coincidence, but the first group consisted of Percy, Annabeth, Pollux, and the Hermes and Apollo cabins. The same people Will had once ridden the same elevator with all those years ago the day of the Winter Solstice.

_ The elevator ride was cramped. Chiron was in a magical wheelchair that held his horse body which gave them a little more room, but with fourteen other demigods also crammed in, the fit was tight. _

_ “Ugh, what is this stuff?” Will complained as the elevator music played. _

_ Michael snorted. “That would be dad. He’s the god of music too, so… singing.” He shrugged like ‘what are you going to do’. _

_ Will closed his mouth and didn’t say another word about the singing. _

_ “Wow!” Annabeth exclaimed when the doors opened and they all piled out to see Olympus. “Oh, it’s beautiful! Look at all the temples and fountains!” _

_ Apparently, Annabeth was a bit of an architect buff because the whole way to the throne room of the gods, she sprouted off random facts about the structure and style. By the time they reached the gleaming palace, even Chiron looked annoyed by her constant chatter. _

Different elevator music was playing this time. A disco song, "Stayin' Alive." Will exchanged a look with Michael who didn’t joke about their dad this time.

When the elevator doors finally dinged open, there was an audible sigh of relief.

Will smiled when he recalled Annabeth’s enthusiasm for the architecture. Olympus truly was beautiful. The mansions glittered gold and white against the sides of the mountain. Gardens bloomed on a hundred terraces. Scented smoke rose from braziers that lined the winding streets. And right at the top of the snow-capped crest rose the main palace of the gods. It looked as majestic as ever, but something seemed wrong. It was quiet. There was no music or laughter like there had been at the Solstice.

When the second group of half-blood came up, they made their way across the sky bridge into the streets of Olympus. The shops were closed. The parks were empty. A couple of Muses sat on a bench strumming flaming lyres, but their hearts didn't seem to be in it. A lone Cyclops swept the street with an uprooted oak tree. A minor godling spotted them from a balcony and ducked inside, closing his shutters.

They walked in silence for a bit until Pollux cried out, “Look! What is that?”

The campers all froze. Blue lights were streaking across the evening sky toward Olympus like tiny comets. They seemed to be coming from all over the city, heading straight toward the mountain. As they got close, they fizzled out. They watched them for several minutes and they didn't seem to do any damage, but still it was strange.

"Like infrared scopes," Michael muttered. "We're being targeted."

"Let's get to the palace," Percy suggested.

No one was guarding the hall of the gods. The gold-and-silver doors stood wide open. Their footsteps echoed as they walked into the throne room. Twelve giant empty thrones stood in a U around a hearth. In one corner, a house-size globe of water hovered in the air, and inside swam this half-cow, half-serpent creature.

"Moooo!" it said happily, turning in a circle.

"Hey, man," Percy said. "They treating you okay?"

"Mooo," it answered.

Will decided to ignore the strange conversation.

“Hello again, Percy Jackson. You and your friends are welcome.”

A woman stood by the hearth, poking the flames with a stick. She wore a simple brown dress and her eyes were warm.

Percy bowed. "Lady Hestia."

Will’s eyes widened and he followed Percy’s example.

“I see you went through with your plan,” Hestia said, looking at Percy. “You bear the curse of Achilles.”

His plan? Was this what Percy had talked to Chiron about? The plan Nico had told Percy about months ago? The curse of Achilles… Will stared at Percy in shock.

“What did she say?” someone whispered.

“What about Achilles?” another asked.

"You must be careful," Hestia warned him. "You gained much on your journey. But you are still blind to the most important truth. Perhaps a glimpse is in order."

Annabeth nudged Percy. "Um . . . what is she talking about?"

Percy stared at Hestia. His knees buckled, but Annabeth grabbed him. "Percy! What happened?"

"Did… did you see that?" Percy asked.

"See what?"

Percy paused, glancing at Hestia. “How long was I out?” he muttered.

Annabeth looked confused. “Percy, you weren't out at all. You just looked at Hestia for like one second and collapsed."

"Um, Lady Hestia," Percy said, "we've come on urgent business. We need to see—"

"We know what you need," a man's voice said.

Cecil gasped. “Dad,” he said quietly.

Hermes shimmered into existence next to Hestia. He looked about twenty-five now, with curly salt-and-pepper hair and elfish features. He wore a military pilot's flight suit, with tiny bird's wings fluttering on his helmet and his black leather boots. In the crook of his arm was a long staff entwined with two living serpents.

“I will leave you now,” Hestia said. She bowed to Hermes and disappeared into smoke.

“Hello, Percy,” Hermes said stiffly.

“Lord Hermes,” Percy said bowing awkwardly. After a moment he added, “Hello George. Hey, Martha.”

Will guessed Percy was greeting the snakes, but he wasn’t too sure.

“Um, Hermes,” Percy began. “We need to talk to Zeus. It’s important.”

Hermes's eyes were steely cold. "I am his messenger. May I take a message?"

Cecil looked at Will worriedly. He looked like he wasn’t sure if his dad would help them or not. Either way, this wasn’t going how they had planned. Percy clearly sensed that.

"You guys," Percy said. "Why don't you do a sweep of the city? Check the defenses. See who's left in Olympus. Meet Annabeth and me back here in thirty minutes."

Silena frowned. "But—"

"That's a good idea," Annabeth interrupted. "Connor and Travis, you two lead."

“We’re on it!” Travis said with a serious look. He seemed to be showing off in front of his dad.

Connor nodded and he and his brother led Will and the others out of the throne room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still setting up for the Battle, but it's on it's way. Here we go, here we go.


	25. This is Happening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from the Last Olympian

“This is stupid,” Cecil moaned. “No,  _ beyond _ stupid. Do you realize that this whole mess started because Luke threw a temper tantrum about dad? I mean, we are about to die and the reason for our deaths will be a stupid son of Hermes couldn’t handle his daddy issues. I’ll be waiting for him in the Underworld so I can kill him for doing this.”

Will through Cecil might be slightly hysterical and not know what he was saying. His friend was ranting without filter or breathing, so it was hard to tell if it was the hysterical theory or if Cecil actually meant to say that. He hoped it was the former.

“Blue fireworks scoping us out,” Cecil moaned. “He used to boss us all around, remember? Making sure we brushed our teeth, didn’t get caught when we stole, all those things a brother does. You do that too, Will, but I think you’re more annoying and nagging. Portion sizes and healthy food and enamel building toothpaste or whatever. Oh, look, the light’s stopped.”

Hysteria. Delirium. Distress.

Will shook Cecil’s shoulders. “Snap out of it!”

Cecil blinked and took a deep breath. “Right. Sorry.”

Connor and Travis rushed back out of the throne room with Percy and Annabeth in tow. Some of the other campers had gathered at a guardrail and were looking down at the mortal city through tourist binoculars.

“Oh boy,” Will muttered, going over to join them.

Whatever they were looking at, it seemed to worry people because there were whispers and murmurs floating around. Will finally got to the front to look through one and he almost gasped.

“I don’t… hear anything,” Annabeth said slowly, looking at Percy.

Percy’s face was almost comical if the situation hadn’t been so bad. “What did they do?” he asked angrily. “What did they do to my city?”

Even from this height, they should've heard the noise of the city—millions of people bustling around, thousands of cars and machines—the hum of a huge metropolis. Even in the dead of night, New York should never be silent. But it was now. Will knew exactly why.

Traffic was stopped completely. Pedestrians were lying on the sidewalks, or curled up in doorways. There was no sign of violence, no wrecks, nothing like that. It was as if all the people in New York had simply decided to stop whatever they were doing and pass out.

"Are they dead?" Silena asked in astonishment.

_ And see the world in endless sleep _ , Will recalled with a chill.

As if to add onto Will’s thoughts, Percy said, "Not dead," he said. "Morpheus has put the entire island of Manhattan to sleep. The invasion has started."

“That line in the prophecy,” Katie Gardner said quietly. “ _ And see the world in endless sleep _ . This is what that meant?”

Annabeth looked grim. “Unfortunately. We better get back down to the ground. Quickly.”

They rode back down in the same groups. Will’s heart raced. This was real. No turning back now. Kronos was about to march an army of monsters and demigods into New York while all the mortals slept.

Percy and Annabeth conversed with Argus when they reached the camp vans. He listened to them intently and then pulled out a round bronze shield which he gave to Annabeth.

“Whoa,” Percy said, drawing everyone’s attention. “A video shield.”

Will gapped at the reflection of the Statue of Liberty in the shield. It should have been impossible to see from where they were, but it was reflecting back at them through Annabeth’s new shield.

"One of Daedalus's ideas," Annabeth said. "I had Beckendorf make this before—" She glanced at Silena. "Um, anyway, the shield bends sunlight or moonlight from anywhere in the world to create a reflection. You can literally see any target under the sun or moon, as long as natural light is touching it. Look."

They crowded around as Annabeth concentrated. The image zoomed and spun at first, so it was a bit dizzying just watching it. The Central Park Zoo, zooming down East 60th, past Bloomingdale's, then turning on Third Avenue.

"Whoa," Connor said with a mischievous grin. "Back up. Zoom in right there."

"What?" Annabeth said nervously. "You see invaders?"

"No, right there—Dylan's Candy Bar." Connor grinned at Travis. "Dude, it's open. And everyone is asleep. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Connor!" Katie scolded. "This is serious. You are not going to loot a candy store in the middle of a war!"

"Sorry," Connor muttered, but he didn't sound very ashamed.

Annabeth passed her hand in front of the shield, and another scene popped up: FDR Drive, looking across the river at Lighthouse Park.

"This will let us see what's going on across the city," she said. "Thank you, Argus. Hopefully we'll see you back at camp… someday."

_Wasn’t that cheery?_ Will grumbled as Argus grunted, got in the van, and drove off.

Percy whistled. Mrs. O’Leary bounded over.

"Hey, girl," he said. "You remember Grover? The satyr we met in the park?"

"WOOF!"

"I need you to find him," Percy said. "Make sure he's still awake. We're going to need his help. You got that? Find Grover!"

Mrs. O'Leary gave him a sloppy wet kiss. Then she raced off north. 

Pollux crouched next to a sleeping policeman. "I don't get it. Why didn't we fall asleep too? Why just the mortals?"

"This is a huge spell," Silena said. "The bigger the spell, the easier it is to resist. If you want to sleep millions of mortals, you've got to cast a very thin layer of magic. Sleeping demigods is much harder."

Percy stared at her. "When did you learn so much about magic?"

Silena blushed. "I don't spend all my time on my wardrobe."

Will frowned. Something about that seemed off. Maybe it was a fair assumption to make since demigods were less susceptible to the Mist than mortals were, but there was no way Silena should know  _ that _ much about magic unless she was a daughter of Hecate. Will shuddered.

"What's happening with the mortals outside Manhattan?" Percy said, bringing Will back to the present. "Is the whole state asleep?"

Annabeth frowned. "I don't think so, but it's strange. As far as I can tell from these pictures, Manhattan is totally asleep. Then there's like a fifty-mile radius around the island where time is running really, really slow. The closer you get to Manhattan, the slower it is." She showed him something in the shield.

"Kronos," Percy said. "He's slowing time."

"Hecate might be helping," Katie suggested. "Look how the cars are all veering away from the Manhattan exits, like they're getting a subconscious message to turn back."

"I don't know." Annabeth sounded really frustrated. She hated not knowing. "But somehow they've surrounded Manhattan in layers of magic. The outside world might not even realize something is wrong. Any mortals coming toward Manhattan will slow down so much they won't know what's happening."

"Like flies in amber," Jake Mason murmured.

Annabeth nodded. "We shouldn't expect any help coming in."

Percy turned to look at them. “Alright,” he said. “We’re going to hold Manhattan.”

Silena tugged at her armor. "Um, Percy, Manhattan is huge."

"We are going to hold it," Percy said forcefully. "We have to."

"He's right," Annabeth said. "The gods of the wind should keep Kronos's forces away from Olympus by air, so he'll try a ground assault. We have to cut off the entrances to the island."

"They have boats," Michael pointed out.

“I’ll take care of the boats,” Percy promised.

Michael frowned. "How?"

"Just leave it to me," Percy said. "We need to guard the bridges and tunnels. Let's assume they'll try a midtown or downtown assault, at least on their first try. That would be the most direct way to the Empire State Building. Michael, take Apollo's cabin to the Williamsburg Bridge. Katie, Demeter's cabin takes the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. Grow thorn bushes and poison ivy in the tunnel. Do whatever you have to do, but keep them out of there! Conner, take half of Hermes cabin and cover the Manhattan Bridge. Travis, you take the other half and cover the Brooklyn Bridge. And no stopping for looting or pillaging!"

"Awwww!" the whole Hermes cabin complained.

"Silena, take the Aphrodite crew to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel."

"Oh my gods," Drew Tanaka said. "Fifth Avenue is so on our way! We could accessorize, and monsters, like, totally hate the smell of Givenchy."

"No delays," Percy said. "Well… the perfume thing, if you think it'll work."

Six Aphrodite girls kissed him on the cheek in excitement.

"All right, enough!" Percy shouted. "The Holland Tunnel. Jake, take the Hephaestus cabin there. Use Greek fire, set traps. Whatever you've got."

He grinned. "Gladly. We've got a score to settle. For Beckendorf!"

The whole cabin roared in approval.

"The 59th Street Bridge," I said. "Clarisse—"

Percy faltered. Clarisse wasn't there. The whole Ares cabin was sitting back at camp.

"We'll take that," Annabeth stepped in. She turned to her siblings. "Malcolm, take the Athena cabin, activate plan twenty-three along the way, just like I showed you. Hold that position."

"You got it."

"I'll go with Percy," she said. "Then we'll join you, or we'll go wherever we're needed."

Somebody in the back of the group said, "No detours, you two."

There were some giggles, but no one said anything.

"All right," Percy said. "Keep in touch with cell phones." 

"We don't have cell phones," Silena protested.

He reached down, picked up some snoring lady's BlackBerry, and tossed it to Silena. "You do now. You all know Annabeth's number, right? If you need us, pick up a random phone and call us. Use it once, drop it, then borrow another one if you have to. That should make it harder for the monsters to zero in on you."

Will frowned. He didn’t really like the idea of using some random mortal’s phone without their permission. Percy didn’t look as comfortable with it either, but they  _ did _ have to keep in contact with each other one way or another.

Travis cleared his throat. "Uh, if we find a really nice phone—"

"No, you can't keep it," Percy said disapprovingly.

"Aw, man."

"Hold it, Percy," Jake said. "You forgot the Lincoln Tunnel."

“How about you leave that to us?” Thalia’s voice cut in.

Crossing Fifth Avenue was a band of thirty girls in white shirts, silvery camouflage pants, and combat boots. They had swords at their sides, quivers on their backs, and bows at the ready. A pack of white timber wolves milled around their feet, and many of the girls had hunting falcons on their arms.

The girl in the lead had spiky black hair and a black leather jacket. She wore a silver circlet on her head like a princess's tiara, which didn't match her skull earrings or her Death to Barbie T-shirt showing a little Barbie doll with an arrow through its head.

"Thalia!" Annabeth cried.

The daughter of Zeus grinned. "The Hunters of Artemis, reporting for duty."

Thalia greeted everyone enthusiastically. She grinned at Will before moving onto Percy and Annabeth. They chatted a moment, then Thalia turned around to look at her hunters.

“Hunters, move out!” Thalia shouted, slapping her silver bracelet causing her shield to spring out.

The Hunters took off down the avenue, followed by their wolves and falcons.

"Thank the gods," Annabeth said. "But if we don't blockade the rivers from those boats, guarding the bridges and tunnels will be pointless."

"You're right," Percy agreed. He looked at the campers. "You're the greatest heroes of this millennium," he told them. "It doesn't matter how many monsters come at you. Fight bravely, and we will win." He raised his sword and shouted, "FOR OLYMPUS!"

They shouted in response, and their forty voices echoed off the buildings of Midtown. For a moment it sounded brave, but it died quickly in the silence of ten million sleeping New Yorkers.

Michael turned to address his siblings. “Williamsburg Bridge,” he said. “We hold it  _ no matter what _ . Let’s go.” He led them off towards the bridge.

“Hey,” Cecil said to Will. He bit his lip. “Don’t die.”

Will swallowed the lump in his throat. “As long as you don’t die either.”

Cecil nodded and then headed off to follow his cabin. Will did the same.

When they reached the bridge, Michael started directing them on where to go.

“Anyone confident with a sword will go with Alice on the other side of the bridge,” Michael said, gesturing across the bridge. “Will, set up our med supplies on this side. Anyone gets hurt, you drop back, patch yourself up, and get back in the fight unless it’s really bad. Archers will line up on the bridge behind the sword fighters. Remember, no one gets across this bridge without our say so and we don’t say so.” He faced them. “Okay. I… I just want you guys to know that you’re the best siblings ever, and…” he broke off, biting his lip.

“Don’t say that,” Will said firmly.

Alice nodded. “Everything’s going to be-”

“Don’t say  _ that _ either,” Will groaned. “We  _ are _ demigods, Alice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so they enter the first night (evening?) of the Battle of Manhattan.


	26. Williamsburg Bridge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable section from the Last Olympian
> 
> Also... I mean, if you haven't guessed from the title of the chapter... Well, you've been warning I guess. Bad stuff happening.

As far as battles went, it was going decently well for the Apollo cabin. There hadn’t been many severe injuries, and those that were injured dropped back far enough to take a bite of ambrosia or wrap a bandage around the cut quickly before charging back into the fray.

Will, for his credit, managed to keep a camp and steady hand with his bow. He figured out of the two options of sword or bow and arrow, he was probably better off sticking to the archer group.

They had managed to dust a few rows of monsters long before they even reached the front of the defense. After that, they were quick to put down any monster that slipped past their front lines.

It was dark by the time the monsters had finally lost and stopped coming. They waited anxiously for the sounds of more monsters, but didn’t hear any.

“Is that it?” Alice whispered.

Michael frowned. “Stay alert. They might have called in reinforcements.” He glanced around. “Time?”

“12:27,” Austin answered, looking at his watch. “Think we should check in with Percy and Annabeth?”

Michael nodded. “I’m going to give her a call.” He jogged over to one of the cars pulled off on the side of the road before the bridge. Michael reached through the window, unlocked the car, and opened the door. He took the cell phone out and dialled Annabeth’s number.

A loud roar echoed from beyond the bridge. They turned to see the enemy troops marching towards them. At the front was a monster that died only years previously.

“For the love of Zeus,” Michael swore.

Will’s heart thudded. “The Minotaur.”

“Don’t just stand there!” Michael shouted, covering the phone’s speaker. “Shoot them! Annabeth? Annabeth, it’s Michael. We’ve got a problem. Second army is coming and the Minotaur is leading. We need reinforcements.” He tossed the phone back into the car and drew back his bow. He fired into the crowd of oncoming monsters.

Will scrambled to shoot at the monsters, but they just weren’t cutting them down as quickly as before. Hellhounds melted out of the darkness, surprising their front line. So far the monsters were staying in front of them, but it was clear that they would be overwhelmed soon.

“Fall back!” Michael yelled. “Don’t stop shooting though!” He fired a sonic arrow into the monsters. There was an explosion, and a small group of monsters vaporized, but it wasn’t enough. More moved in to take their place.

“Use the cars as cover!” Kayla screamed over the monsters’ roars and the swords’ clangs. She ducked behind a pretty nice looking sports car, notched an arrow, got up, and fired it into the monsters. She kept it up as she retreated.

A dark shadow swooped overhead. Two pegusi flew across the sky. Will looked up from dragging the sleeping drivers out of their cars and out of harm’s way. He almost sighed in relief upon seeing them. Their riders were likely Percy and Annabeth. He returned to his rescue of the drivers with renewed effort.

An entire phalanx of dracaenae marched in the lead, their shields locked together, spear tips bristling over the top. An occasional arrow would connect with their snaky trunks, or a neck, or a chink in their armor, and the unlucky snake woman would disintegrate, but most of the Apollo arrows glanced harmlessly off their shield wall. About a hundred more monsters marched behind them. Hellhounds leaped ahead of the line from time to time. Will tried to block out the screams from his siblings.

The Minotaur bellowed angrily and picked up a white limousine. He threw it into the sky at the black pegasus which was forced into a dive.

The two pegasi dropped down behind an overturned school bus Will and a few others had just finished clearing. Percy and Annabeth slid off and the two pegasi took off into the sky.

Michael rushed over, grinning. He was almost out of arrows, Will noted with a wince, and his arm was bandaged hastily "Glad you could join us," he said. "Where are the other reinforcements?"

"For now, we're it," Percy said grimly.

"Then we're dead," he said.

"You still have your flying chariot?" Annabeth asked.

"Nah," Michael said. "Left it at camp. I told Clarisse she could have it. Whatever, you know? Not worth fighting about anymore. But she said it was too late. We'd insulted her honor for the last time or some stupid thing."

Will rolled his eyes. Why couldn’t they have done this days ago?

"Least you tried," Percy said.

Michael shrugged. "Yeah, well, I called her some names when she said she still wouldn't fight. I doubt that helped. Here come the uglies!" He drew an arrow and launched it toward the enemy. The arrow made a screaming sound as it flew. When it landed, it unleashed a blast like a power chord on an electric guitar magnified through the world's largest speakers. The nearest cars exploded. Monsters dropped their weapons and clasped their ears in pain. Some ran. Others disintegrated on the spot.

"That was my last sonic arrow," Michael said.

"A gift from your dad?" Percy asked. "God of music?"

Michael grinned wickedly. "Loud music can be bad for you. Unfortunately, it doesn't always kill."

Sure enough, most monsters were regrouping, shaking off their confusion.

"We have to fall back," Michael said. "I've got Kayla and Austin setting traps farther down the bridge."

"No," Percy said. "Bring your campers forward to this position and wait for my signal. We're going to drive the enemy back to Brooklyn."

Michael laughed. "How do you plan to do that?"

_ Yes, how do you plan to do that? _ Will wanted to ask.

Percy drew his sword. 

Will nearly facepalmed. Of course. Charge right in Percy Jackson style.

"Percy," Annabeth said, "let me come with you."

"Too dangerous," Percy said. "Besides, I need you to help Michael coordinate the defensive line. I'll distract the monsters. You group up here. Move the sleeping mortals out of the way. Then you can start picking off monsters while I keep them focused on me. If anybody can do all that, you can."

Michael snorted. "Thanks a lot."

“Alright,” Annabeth said reluctantly. “Get moving.”

“Don’t I get a kiss for luck?” Percy asked. “It’s kind of a tradition, right?”

Will gapped at the son of Poseidon.

“Come back alive, Seaweed Brain. Then we’ll see.”

Percy shrugged and stepped out from behind the bus.

“A kiss for good luck, huh?” Michael asked with a grin. “When did that happen?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “None of your business.” She peered over the top of the bus.

Michael and Will joined her. Percy was effortlessly fighting the dracaenae and hellhounds between him and the Minotaur.

"One on one?" they heard Percy called. "Just like old times?"

“Oh my gods,” Annabeth whispered. “His blades. Are those…?”

Will squinted towards the Minotaur and his anger surged. At the base of each blade the Minotaur wielded were beaded necklaces, probably ones taken from dea- defeated demigods.

“I hope Percy gives him Tartarus,” Michael said darkly. “Let’s get out there. We can take down the other monsters while the minotaur is focused on Percy.” He jumped out from behind the bus with Will and Annabeth following.

Percy cut off both the Minotaur’s horns. He braced an axe against the railing of the bridge as the Minotaur charged. The Minotaur didn't even slow down. With a terrible  _ crunch _ , the axe was embedded in the Minotaur’s breastplate. Percy tossed the Minotaur over the side of the bridge, then turned to the other monsters. His eyes glinted madly as he dove into battle.

It was one of the most incredible things Will had ever seen. Percy was unstoppable and for the first time, Will truly understood why everyone claimed Percy was the best swordsman in hundreds of years. They were outnumbered by monsters. Will and his siblings fired arrows, vaporizing some, but Percy was doing most of the work. For every monster an arrow killed, Percy had to have killed ten more.

Finally, the monsters turned and fled—about twenty left alive out of two hundred. Percy led them after the monsters.

"Yes!" yelled Michael. "That's what I'm talking about!"

They drove them back toward the Brooklyn side of the bridge. The sky was growing pale in the east. They could see the toll stations ahead. 

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. "You've already routed them. Pull back! We're overextended!"

That’s when they saw where the retreating monsters were headed. It was their reinforcements. The reinforcements weren’t much, about thirty or fourty demigods on skeletal horses, but the lead horseman was a very familiar face.

Luke Castellan.

_ Kronos, _ Will reminded himself.  _ Not Luke. Kronos _ .

They faltered. The monsters they’d been pursuing reached the Titan's line and were absorbed into the new force. Kronos gazed in their direction.

"Now," Percy said, "we pull back."

The Titan lord's men drew their swords and charged. The hooves of their skeletal horses thundered against the pavement. Will and his siblings shot a volley, bringing down several of the enemy, but they just kept riding.

"Retreat!" Percy ordered. "I'll hold them."

Michael shouted out a command and they turned and ran back towards the bridge.

“Annabeth!”

Will turned to see Percy and Annabeth in the middle of the bridge. There was a bloody gash in Annabeth’s arm and an enemy demigod standing over her. Percy slammed the demigod in the face with the hilt of his sword.

“Get back! No one touches her!” he shouted. A few moments later he called out, “Blackjack!”

The black pegasus swooped down and picked up Annabeth by the straps of her armor. The soared away before anyone could react.

Then Kronos dismounted and swung his scythe at Percy who blocked it.

“Come on!” Michael shouted. “We’re almost across!” He hopped up onto one of the suspension cables and notched his last arrow.

“Michael, don’t!” Kayla warned.

“I got it,” Michael waved her off. “Just keep going.”

“I am a TITAN!” Kronos roared.

Suddenly, Percy skidded back towards them. Kronos had struck the bridge, blasting the son of Poseidon backwards.

“Michael, go!” Percy screamed.

“Percy, the bridge!” Michael called. “It’s already weak! Break it! Use your powers!” he yelled.

By now, Will and his siblings had made it across the bridge. Will stared at his brother and Percy as the Titan army moved towards them steadily.

Percy plunged his sword into the bridge. Water erupted like a geyser. Percy pulled his blade out and the bridge shook and began to crumble. Chunks the size of houses fell into the East River. Kronos's demigods cried out in alarm and scrambled backward. Some were knocked off their feet.

Will and his siblings braced themselves against the ground as the earth shook. A random thought that maybe Percy  _ had _ actually caused that crack in the floor of the dining pavilion entered Will’s mind. He shook it off and waited for the vibrations to die down. When they did, he looked up to see that there was a fifty-foot chasm in the Williamsburg Bridge between Percy and Kronos.

Kronos studied the gap then looked at Percy. He raised his scythe in mock salute before mounting his horse and retreating.

Percy turned and froze. “No!” he shouted.

Will frowned. Why was Percy upset? They had stopped the Titans from using this entrance. Then his eyes followed where Percy ran towards. Percy was holding a bow and looking over the side of the bridge.

Will stumbled. No.  _ No. _ Wasn’t it enough that they had already lost Lee last year?

Percy yelled out in anger and frustration.

“No, no, no,” Will mumbled. He glanced around wildly. “Where is he?”

Percy came up to Will. He looked anxious, angry, and worried. “Come with me. Silena just called. Annabeth’s not doing good.” He looked at the rest of Will’s siblings who were just beginning to realize that Michael was missing. “Keep looking!” Percy ordered. “Michael’s here somewhere. He… he has to be.” Percy’s voice broke at the end. He shook his head. “Come on,” he said to Will, waving him over to a Yamaha FZI.

They drove in silence.

Will could tell Percy was anxious to get back to Annabeth and worried about her survival. But he could also feel the anger and self guilt rolling off Percy in waves. Will could guess Percy felt responsible for Michael’s disappearance.

Not that Will blamed Percy. The mini-earthquake and water geyser probably saved a whole bunch of lives by preventing Kronos from crossing. Besides, the guy didn’t need anyone else beating him up over it, he was already doing enough of that himself.

Will took the time to compose himself. If he was going to be responsible for saving Annabeth’s life, he needed to be calm and collected.

They reached the Plaza in five minutes. Percy gunned the Yamaha over the curb and swerved to a stop at the fountain outside the hotel. Will and he hopped off. The statue at the top of the fountain called down, "Oh, fine. I suppose you want me to watch your bike too!"

Will jumped in surprise. She was a life-size bronze standing in the middle of a granite bowl. She wore only a bronze sheet around her legs, and she was holding a basket of metal fruit.

"Are you supposed to be Demeter?" Percy asked.

A bronze apple sailed over his head.

"Everyone thinks I'm Demeter," she complained. "I'm Pompona, the Roman Goddess of Plenty, but why should you care? Nobody cares about the minor gods. If you cared about the minor gods, you wouldn't be losing this war! Three cheers for Morpheus and Hecate, I say!"

"Watch the bike," Percy told her.

Pompona cursed in Latin and threw more fruit as Will and Percy ran toward the hotel.

A couple of Hunters gave them directions to the elevators, and they rode up to the penthouse suites. Demigods had completely taken over the top floors. Campers and Hunters were crashed out on sofas, washing up in the bathrooms, ripping silk draperies to bandage their wounds, and helping themselves to snacks and sodas from the minibars. A couple of timber wolves were drinking out of the toilets. Everybody looked beat up.

"Percy!" Jake Mason clapped him on the shoulder. "We're getting reports—"

"Later," Percy said. "Where's Annabeth?"

"The terrace. She's alive, man, but…”

Percy pushed past him. Will hurried after Percy.

Annabeth lay on a lounge chair. Her face was pale and beaded with sweat. Even though she was covered in blankets, she shivered. Silena Beauregard was wiping her forehead with a cool cloth.

Will immediately went into doctor mode. He unwrapped Annabeth’s bandages to examine the wound. The bleeding had stopped, but the gash was deep and the skin around it was green.

“Annabeth…” Percy choked out.

"Poison on the dagger," she mumbled. "Pretty stupid of me, huh?"

Will exhaled with relief. "It's not so bad, Annabeth. A few more minutes and we would've been in trouble, but the venom hasn't gotten past the shoulder yet. Just lie still. Somebody hand me some nectar."

Percy passed him a canteen, and Will poured some of it on the wound to clean it.

"Ow," Annabeth groaned. "Ow, ow!" She gripped Percy’s fingers, but she stayed still, like Will asked.

“It’s okay,” Silena muttered. “Will’s going to heal this quick and you’ll be good as new soon enough. Deep breaths, Annabeth.”

Will spread a paste over the wound and hummed a hymn to his father.  _ Please, dad, _ he prayed. Then he applied fresh bandages. As he stood up, he noted that his legs felt a bit shaky. He was probably pretty pale too.

“That should do it,” he said. There wasn’t time for him to be feeling tired when he was needed to heal the wounded. “But we’re going to need some mortal supplies.” He grabbed a piece of hotel stationery, jotted down some notes, and handed it to one of the Athena guys. "There's a Duane Reade on Fifth. Normally I would never steal—"

"I would," Travis volunteered.

Will glared at him. "Leave cash or drachmas to pay, whatever you've got, but this is an emergency. I've got a feeling we're going to have a lot more people to treat."

No one said anything for a while.

"Come on, guys," Travis said. "Let's give Annabeth some space. We've got a drugstore to raid.” Will glared harder. “I mean, visit," Travis corrected hastily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, Will! You aren't out of the woods yet, I'm afraid.
> 
> And so concludes the first night of the Battle of Manhattan...


	27. Head Counselor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Last Olympian

Kayla had reluctantly broke the news to Will that they had not been able to find Michael. Will had thrown himself into healing demigods to distract himself, and even as he could feel his eyelids begging to close, he splashed cold water on his face and moved from camper to camper.

So far, no one had considered who would be taking over. When Lee had died, Michael had been the obvious choice considering he was practically co-leader anyway. With Michael… missing, there was no obvious choice. Maybe Alice, but she would be going away to college the next year, and it probably wasn’t a good idea to go through three head counselors in three years.

“Take a break,” Austin said, pulling Will away from a no so serious twisted ankle he was attending to. “One of the Titan’s meeting Percy on a parlay. Perfect time to sleep, yeah?”

“Whatever mud filth thought of parlay?” Will mumbled as Austin shoved him into a chair.

Austin snorted. “Pirates of the Caribbean? Are we quoting movies now?”

“Not really,” Will yawned. “If it was the proper quote I would’ve sworn. Bad… bad words.”

“Okay,” Austin said, covering Will with a blanket. “Rest before you fall apart from exhaustion.”

Will closed his eyes and let himself drift off.

.

When Will woke up, the sky was purple and red. The sun was setting fast.

“Good. You’re up,” Kayla noted.

Will glared at her. “You should have woken me up sooner. I should be helping to heal people, not sleeping!”

“You can’t help anyone if you’re exhausted,” Kayla snapped. She took a breath. “Thalia asked the heads to meet her. Annabeth’s gone to get Percy.” Kayla looked lost. “Will, who are we supposed to send?”

Will swallowed back the lump in his throat. “I… I don’t know. I guess we should have, you know, figured this out before now.”

“Alice suggested you,” Kayla said quietly. “I mean, she’s got a point. You’re in charge of the infirmary. You could do it.”

“Me?” Will repeated. “But… I can’t even hit a bullseye, Kayla. You should do it.”

Kayla shook her head. “No, thanks. I’m no leader. And it doesn’t matter if you can hit the center of a target, Will. Whether you realize it or not, you’re a leader. I can see that when you work in the infirmary.” She stood up and helped Will to his feet. “Thalia said they’re meeting at the Reservoir.” Kayla walked away.

Will balled his fists and gathered his courage before walking over to meet Thalia and the heads.

Thalia gave him a smile when she saw him. “Hi, Will.”

“Hey, Thalia,” Will mumbled. He swallowed when the other counselors looked at him.

Katie, Jake, Travis and Connor, and Pollux all had way more experience than him and they were actually useful in a fight.

“Annabeth said she saw an army heading south into Central Park,” Thalia explained to Will. “She went to get Percy and he’ll give us the game plan.”

“Right,” Will said quietly.

Thalia gave him a reassuring look. But before she could say anything, Percy and Annabeth arrived.

"They're coming," Thalia confirmed, pointing north with a silver arrow. "One of my scouts just reported they've crossed the Harlem River. There was no way to hold them back. The army…” She shrugged. "It's huge."

"We'll hold them at the park," Percy said. "Grover, you ready?"

The satyr nodded. "As ready as we'll ever be. If my nature spirits can stop them anywhere, this is the place."

"Yes, we will!" said another voice. A very old, fat satyr pushed through the crowd, stumbling over his own spear. He was dressed in wood-bark armor that only covered half of his belly.

"Leneus?" Percy said in surprise.

"Don't act so surprised," he huffed. "I am a leader of the Council, and you did tell me to find Grover. Well, I found him, and I'm not going to let a mere outcast lead the satyrs without my help! Never fear! We'll show those Titans!"

Will glanced between the old satyr grinning like he was the savior of the day and Grover making gagging motions.

“Um, yeah,” Percy said awkwardly. “Well, Grover, you won’t be alone. Annabeth and the Athena cabin will make their stand here. And me, and… Thalia?”

Thalia patted him on the shoulder. "Say no more. The Hunters are ready."

Percy looked at Will and the other counselors. "That leaves the rest of you with a job just as important. You have to guard the other entrances to Manhattan. You know how tricky Kronos is. He'll hope to distract us with this big army and sneak another force in somewhere else. It's up to you to make sure that doesn't happen. Has each cabin chosen a bridge or tunnel?"

The counselors nodded grimly. Will almost shook his head, but Jake whispered, “I’ll tell you where to go. Don’t worry.”

Will remembered that Jake had only been made head of Hephaestus a few days earlier. He could understand Will’s situation better than anyone.

"Then let's do it," Percy said. "Good hunting, everybody!"

Jake pulled Will aside. “You need to set up a makeshift infirmary by the Empire State Building. I don’t think we can hold the whole of Manhattan much longer. We just have to protect Olympus now.” He winced. “If it comes to it, you might have to move up to Olympus. I don’t know how long…” he trailed off.

Will nodded, and took off towards his siblings.

Kayla looked up. “What’s the plan?”

“We’re setting up a temporary field hospital outside the Empire State Building,” Will reported. “The army is heading south into Central Park. Thalia said they just crossed the Harlem River. The other cabins are going to guard the entrances to Manhattan and hold them as long as they can.” He looked at Kayla. “We’ll still need to defend though. You’re in charge of that. Uh, let’s say half and half? Take the best fighters to defend, the rest stay with me and heal the injured. We can adjust from there depending on how the fight is going. Got it?”

“Aye aye,” Austin saluted.

Will rolled his eyes.

.

The roar of the battle miles away at the reservoir could be heard at the makeshift infirmary. Wind whistled through the silent city and shouts echoed off the buildings.

Will looked in the direction of the fighting to see the sky darkening and clouds beginning to swirl around. His eyes widened.

“Hurricane,” he whispered.

“What?” one of the injured Hunters snapped.

Will pointed at the dark sky. The clouds swirled, wind whipped through the streets, and rain poured from the sky. Even at this distance, some of the spray from the rain managed to hit them. Lightning flashed in the sky.

“I hope that was Percy doing that,” Will muttered as the hurricane disappeared.

“REEEET!” It echoed in the silence.

“The Hades?” Kayla yelped.

Alice lifted her bow warily. “What was that?”

“Archers, stand ready!” Kayla shouted. “Whatever that is, it’s at the battle grounds, but it could come here. Be on your guard!”

"REEEEEET!" It echoed again.

Minutes later, a large shape flew across the sky in the distance. Behind it, there was a dark shape, but much smaller. Like a pegasus. The two shapes disappeared and reappeared multiple times, but they were too far away to see clearly.

There was another "REEEEEET!" and then it was quiet except for the faint noises of the battle in the distance.

As time ticked by, they could hear the sounds of the fight growing closer.

“Our defenses are collapsing,” Austin realized. He looked at Will anxiously. “The Titan army is coming  _ here _ . Should we relocate?”

Will swallowed and glanced around the makeshift infirmary. Everyone’s eyes were on him. His siblings looked to him to tell them what to do, the injured campers and Hunter awaited his decision.

“We stay here for now,” Will said finally. “Olympus is the last place to fall. Worst comes to worst, we’ll have to move everyone to Olympus to get away from the battle, but that won’t happen. Not yet. If you can fight, fight.”

A few of the campers looked uneasy, and a couple Hunters exchanged looks. Will hoped that was more to do with the fact that they were currently taking orders from a boy and not that he completely failed as a leader.

It was getting darker, and now Will could sometimes make out the figures of his fellow campers down the streets. The battle was getting closer and closer. Will moved some of his siblings off healer duty and sent them to Kayla.

The roars of the Hyperborean Giants shook the ground. Will could see them now. Luckily there weren’t too many of them, but the sight was still terrifying.

The Hunters, Hephaestus cabin, Demeter cabin, and nature spirits were only a few blocks away. They kept backing up until they were about a block from the Empire State Building.

"Hold your lines!" Katie Gardner shouted from somewhere.

“Archers fire!” Kayla shouted.

Some of the campers and Hunters with sprained ankles or heavily bandaged limbs grabbed their weapons and joined the fighting. Soon, it didn’t matter who Will had put on healer duty. Everyone had hold of a weapon they were now using to battle the Titan army.

Will glances over at the entrance to Olympus. A ring of brave demigods, Hunters, and nature spirits guarded the doors. He ducked under a sword and threw the first thing he could grab at his attacker.

“Much better,” his attacker said appraisingly. “You actually tried to hurt me.”

Will turned to see Alabaster holding a scalpel that Will had evidently thrown at him. He glared at the son of Hecate. “What do you want?” he growled.

“Come on, Will,” Alabaster grinned. “You have a talent for healing. You’re useful. Those of us on the right side,” he said this as if he was on the right side and Will was on the wrong side, “don’t want to see you dead with a talent like yours! Didn’t you ever wonder why the monsters came for you so early?”

Will faltered.  _ Didn’t you ever wonder why the monsters came for you so early? _ Yes. So many times he had wondered why. His mom wondered about it too. Hadn’t she asked the satyr who took Will to Camp why Will had to go then? She said that he, Apollo, had told her the monsters would come when Will was twelve. Why had they come when he was ten?

That wasn’t right, Will corrected himself. The monsters had come weeks before his tenth birthday. His mom knew it. She had gotten nervous and stopped leaving Will home with a sitter, opting to take him with her everywhere. Then the satyr, Philip, had shown up on Will’s birthday.

“What do you mean?” Will stammered.

Alabaster shrugged. “You’re the son of Apollo, Will. Monsters don’t really care about you, you know. Not as much as a child of the Big Three.” His face morphed into a surprised expression. “Don’t you know anything about your powers?”

“I can heal people,” Will said through gritted teeth. “That’s all I care about.”

“Because you’re special, right?” Alabaster smiled thinly. “That’s what dear old dad told mommy.”

Will’s blood chilled. “What?”

“Why do you think you aren’t as great as your siblings at archery or music?” Alabaster asked incredulously. “You got all your dad’s healing powers! He made you into this doctor child of his instead of a watered down carbon copy of himself.” He tossed the scalpel back to Will. “Like I said. Special.”

“Leave me alone!” Will shouted.

A hunting horn pierced the night.

Alabaster’s smile slipped. “What is that?”

A chorus of horns answered from all around, echoing off the buildings of Manhattan. The horns got louder. It sounded like an entire army was approaching.

Kronos's forces looked as confused as they were. Giants lowered their clubs. Dracaenae hissed. Even Kronos's honor guard looked uneasy. Then, to the left, a hundred monsters cried out at once. Kronos's entire northern flank surged forward. They didn't attack. They ran straight past the demigods and crashed into their southern allies.

A new blast of horns shattered the night. The air shimmered. In a blur of movement, an entire cavalry appeared as if dropping out of light speed.

"Yeah, baby!" a voice wailed. "PARTY!"

A shower of arrows arced over their heads and slammed into the enemy, vaporizing hundreds of demons. But these weren't regular arrows. They made whizzy sounds as they flew, like WHEEEEEE! Some had pinwheels attached to them. Others had boxing gloves rather than points.

"Centaurs!" Will heard Annabeth yell.

Alabaster cursed and ran off to join his comrades. Will heaved a sigh of relief as the boy disappeared and the Party Ponies exploded into view. Tie-dyed shirts, rainbow Afro wigs, oversize sunglasses, and war-painted faces. Some had slogans scrawled across their flanks like HORSEZ PWN or KRONOS SUX. Hundreds of them filled the entire block.

Will grinned when he saw Chiron ride up to Percy and Annabeth. He was dressed in armor from the waist up, his bow in hand, and he was grinning in satisfaction.

One of the centaurs locked and loaded a double-barrel paint gun and blasted an enemy hellhound bright pink. The paint must've been mixed with Celestial bronze dust or something, because as soon as it splattered the hellhound, the monster yelped and dissolved into a pink-and-black puddle.

"PARTY PONIES," a centaur yelled. "SOUTH FLORIDA!"

Somewhere across the battlefield, a twangy voice yelled back, "HEART OF TEXAS CHAPTER!"

"HAWAII OWNS YOUR FACES!" a third one shouted.

The entire Titan army turned and fled, pushed back by a flood of paintballs, arrows, swords, and NERF baseball bats. The centaurs trampled everything in their path.

"Stop running, you fools!" Kronos yelled. "Stand and ACKK!"

Will didn’t see what happened to the Titan Lord, but watched as the enemy army was pushed back several blocks. The demigod forces pulled back and let them retreat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo... at the time of writing this chapter... I might have seen the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies. So... parlay. It was in my head and you know you were thinking it too.
> 
> Also, some good news! I am the proud owner of the Magnus Chase series now! I've finished the first two books. Still working on the third. I really like them so far and I love the Percy and Annabeth cameos and the references to Trials of Apollo. I thought I'd have a hard time because I don't know Norse mythology like I do Greek or Roman and I have Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston as Thor and Loki in my mind, but I didn't have any problems like that. I love Jack the talking sword and the whole vibe of the book with the chapter titles and everything just throws me back to when I first read Percy Jackson, but somehow it's the same and different at the same time. I dunno. Anyway, thank you for listening to my book report.


	28. Flight to Olympus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from the Last Olympian

They set up a two-block perimeter around the Empire State Building. A command tent had been set up next to the infirmary as well.

Will felt himself getting more tired with each camper he worked on. He barely had any time to stop and talk to any of his friends or siblings.

A mechanical drumbeat grew loud in the distance—the chop-chop-chop of a helicopter. Will glanced up in surprise. A civilian helicopter painted dark red with a bright green “DE” logo on the side flew towards them. Suddenly, the helicopter pitched forward.

The Morpheus enchantment, Will realized as he watched the helicopter careen sideways towards a row of office buildings.

With a great sigh of relief, Will noted the two people on the back of a pegasus flying towards the helicopter. He forced himself to look away as one of the campers groaned in pain.

When he looked back, Annabeth was climbing out of the helicopter after a girl with bright red hair.

“Will!” Thalia called.

Will turned around to look at her. “What’s wrong? You hurt?”

Thalia shook her head. “No. You need to move to Olympus. It’ll be out of the fighting the longest.” She sighed. “We need reinforcements,” she mumbled. “Typhon’s on his way too.” She shook her head. “I’ll send some help your way. Get everyone moved.”

Will nodded and turned to address the injured and his siblings. “Anyone who can walk I need you to start heading up to Olympus. If you can carry supplies too that would be great.”

It was utterly depressing really. Will oversaw campers and Hunters limping into the elevator with bags of ambrosia or bandages or even Advil. Some of the other campers helped the more injured campers too.

Yet, the worst part was seeing the dying campers being carried gently. Will had done the best he could, but not everyone could be saved.

“Kayla, Austin,” Will called. His two siblings came over. Will glanced at the rest of his siblings who were still on the ground. “Stay down here. Keep Max, Zachary, and Angelica with you. Go with the Hunters. Lydia will be on Olympus with the injured.”

“You got it,” Kayla nodded. She gestured to her three other siblings. “Let’s go. We should find as many arrows as we can.”

They headed off to join the Hunters who were scrounging for arrows.

“Have you seen Alice?” Will grumbled to Lydia as they rode the elevator up.

Lydia’s face was pale. “I saw her come up earlier. Will? Are we going to lose?”

Will looked at his little sister. “No. Kronos is bad and the bad guy always loses, right? We’re going to keep fighting until he loses.”

“I miss my mom,” Lydia whimpered. “I miss Michael.”

Will’s heart panged. “I miss my mom and Michael too. But it’s going to be okay, Lydia, I promise.”

“Pinky promise?”

“Pinky... pinky promise.”

When they reached the top, they found Alice wrapping a bandage around her stomach with a grimace.

“What happened?” Will asked in alarm.

“Got pushed in front of an arrow,” Alice said bitterly. “I’m fine.”

Lydia hurried over to start helping the nature spirits who were tending to the wounded, but Will stayed with Alice.

“You’ll be glad to know that the Ares cabin just arrived,” Alice grunted. “Someone’s keeping watch for us I guess. Told us when Clarisse got here.”

Will was surprised. “I didn’t think they’d come. Not after…” he trailed off.

“Me neither,” Alice agreed. She glanced over. “You should get going over there. I… I can take care of myself.” She gave him a smirk. “I have been doing this a while.”

“Okay, okay,” Will agreed. He set off towards the group of injured demigods.

A while later, Travis and Connor appeared helping a few more injured campers up.

“Silena’s dead,” Travis told Will.

Connor looked away. “She pretended to be Clarisse to get the Ares cabin here. Lydian drakon can only be killed by a child of Ares, and she wasn’t.”

Will swallowed. “Gods.”

“Clarisse is  _ beyond _ angry,” Travis shuddered. “She’s screaming for Kronos to come fight her. I don’t blame him for staying away. Clarisse’s eyes could kill right now.”

The elevator doors dinged open. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover walked out. Grover left to go plant something in the gardens while Percy and Annabeth walked around the makeshift hospital.

"You'll be up and fighting Titans in no time!" Percy told one camper.

"You look great," Annabeth told another camper.

"Leneus turned into a shrub!" Grover told a groaning satyr.

Will allowed himself a smile at their attempts to cheer the campers up. He watched Percy talk to Pollux for a few minutes. The son of Dionysus looked relieved when Percy finished talking to him.

“I could fight, you know,” Pollux informed Will. “Percy asked me to stay here, but… but I could fight.”

Will rolled his eyes. “Haha. Yeah, no. You have a broken arm. You better stay here.”

“We have to hide!” a nymph said wildly. She looked anxious and panicked. “They’re here! Just outside the building!”

Thalia raced out of the elevator. She must have come up to warn Percy, Annabeth, and Grover.

“They’re in the throne room,” Will called to her.

“Thanks!” she shouted. “Take cover! I don’t know if we can keep them from coming up!”

She ran back a few minutes later with Percy, Annabeth, and Grover in tow. They didn’t bother to give Will a second look.

The next ten minutes were a blur of activity. Nymphs and dryads helped Will and his siblings drag the injured and dead campers and hunters deeper into the parks and gardens they had set up in. They moved behind rows of trees and layers of bushes.

When they neared the edge of Olympus, a semi-familiar chill crept up Will’s neck. He peered over the guardrail and down at the city below.

Standing there was a small dot of black. Will lunged for the nearest binoculars and looked again. Sure enough, a figure in black armor stood confidently next to a hellhound.

As Will watched, cracks appeared in the road, the sidewalks, the sides of the buildings. Skeletal hands grasped the air as the dead clawed their way into the world of the living. There were thousands of them, and as they emerged, the Titan's monsters got jumpy and started to back up.

The sky turned dark and cold. Shadows thickened. As the dead soldiers formed up ranks with their guns and swords and spears, an enormous chariot roared down Fifth Avenue. It came to a stop next to the figure in black which Will figured was Nico di Angelo.

The horses were living shadows, fashioned from darkness. The chariot was inlaid with obsidian and gold, decorated with scenes of painful death. Holding the reins was Hades himself, Lord of the Dead, with two women, Demeter and Persephone maybe, riding behind him.

“It’s Nico!” Will said excitedly. “And Hades and I think that’s Demeter and Persephone! And a whole army of the dead!”

Hopeful whispers filled the air.

Pollux moved forward to peer through the binoculars himself. He grinned. “Sweet! Undead reinforcements.”

“What’s going on?” Lydia asked in fear. She pointed at a shimmering wall.

Will gapped down at the city. “He’s collapsed the magic barriers. The mortals are waking up.”

Sure enough, outside the barrier, car engines revved to life. Pedestrians woke up and stared uncomprehendingly at the monsters and zombies all around them. No telling what they saw through the Mist, but it was definitely plenty scary. Car doors opened.

Will stared through the binoculars desperately as Hades charged at the wall. His chariot crashed against it and overturned. Black energy blasted the wall, but it held. He waved a hand and shouted something, causing his army of the dead to clash with the Titan’s monsters. Fifth Avenue exploded into absolute chaos. Mortals screamed and ran for cover. Demeter waved her hand and an entire column of giants turned into a wheat field. Persephone changed the dracaenae's spears into sunflowers. Nico slashed and hacked his way through the enemy, trying to protect the pedestrians as best he could.

Will watched in awe as Hades and Nico flawlessly commanded the dead while still managing to cut down enemies themselves. Then he cursed.

“What?” Pollux asked nervously.

“Kronos is coming up,” Will hissed. “Everyone stay quiet and don’t move!”

They heard the damage. Kronos bellowed and roared as he destroyed trees and buildings on his way to Olympus.

Pollux’s hand grasped the hilt of his sword. “We should fight back,” he whispered.

“No,” Will said firmly. “Percy’s going to be the one to defeat him. It’s my job to make sure you guys aren’t reckless and get yourselves hurt worse or killed.” He glared at the obviously injured demigod. “You’re injured, so you stay here.”

“Jump!” Grover’s voice said.

“Gods, I hate heights!” Thalia’s yelled.

“Percy!” Annabeth’s voice called.

"Keep moving!" Grover said.

Will peered between the bushes to see Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Thalia heading after Kronos.

Somewhere on Olympus, Kronos's voice roared: "Brick by brick! That was my promise. Tear it down BRICK BY BRICK!" It was followed by an explosion.

Everything was silent for a while after that. It felt like hours before they heard it. A horrible howl rose from the direction of the throne room just as the gods and goddesses materialized at the base of Olympus. A bright aura radiated from the throne room. The Olympians took off at a sprint, wielding their weapons wildly.

Minutes later, the elevators opened to reveal what was left of their troops. Will went out to meet them and they helped move the injured and dead out of the hiding spot.

As they walked to the throne room, Will felt a strange chill. He looked back to see Hades walking stiffly with Nico at his side. Nico looked pretty pleased with himself about something.

In the throne room, Thalia was leaning on crutches and Annabeth was passed out in the corner. Nico di Angelo came into Olympus to a hero's welcome, his father right behind him, despite the fact that Hades was only supposed to visit Olympus on winter solstice. The god of the dead looked stunned when his relatives clapped him on the back. Will didn’t dare pat a god on the back, but he did clap with the rest of the demigods.

"There's my girl!" Ares bellowed, ruffling Clarisse’s hair and pounded her on the back, calling her the best warrior he'd ever seen. "That drakon-slaying? THAT'S what I'm talking about!"

Clarisse looked pretty overwhelmed. All she could do was nod and blink, like she was afraid he'd start hitting her, but eventually she began to smile.

Percy and Grover were talking, but the satyr’s expression was sad. Whatever Percy told him seemed to cheer him up somewhat, but not enough for the sadness to completely go away.

Conch horns blew. The army of Poseidon marched into the throne room.

"Percy!" Tyson yelled. He charged toward Percy with his arms open. "You are not dead!" he said.

"Yeah!" Percy agreed. "Amazing, huh?"

He clapped his hands and laughed happily. "I am not dead either. Yay! We chained Typhon. It was fun!"

Behind him, fifty other armored Cyclopes laughed and nodded and gave each other high fives.

"Tyson led us," one rumbled. "He is brave!"

"Bravest of the Cyclopes!" another bellowed.

Tyson blushed. "Was nothing."

"I saw you!" Percy said. "You were incredible!"

Grover looked nervous as he said, “Yes. Um… three cheers for Tyson!”

"YAAARRRRR!" the Cyclopes roared.

The conch horns blasted again. The Cyclopes parted, and Poseidon strode into the throne room in his battle armor, his trident glowing in his hands.

"Tyson!" he roared. "Well done, my son. And Percy—" His face turned stern. He wagged his finger at Percy. "I even forgive you for sitting on my throne. You have saved Olympus!" He held out his arms and gave me a hug.

Will’s jaw dropped. Percy had  _ sat _ in his father’s throne? What was he thinking? When did this happen?

"POSEIDON!" a voice roared.

Zeus had taken his throne. He glared across the room at Poseidon while all the other gods filed in and took their seats. Hades sat in his simple stone guest chair while Nico sat cross-legged on the ground at his dad’s feet.

"Well, Poseidon?" Zeus grumped. "Are you too proud to join us in council, my brother?"

"I would be honored, Lord Zeus."

Poseidon strode over to his fishing seat, and the Olympian Council convened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always wondered what happened to all the injured campers. Like, they were moved up to Olympus, but then Kronos went on his lil rampage and everything. I figured, they were warned to hide and Will and the others didn't and couldn't risk revealing themselves because the only people in a condition to fight were the healers and lets be honest. The healers they had were probably only healers because they weren't strong fighters.
> 
> Anyway, in other news, I created a fanart video for Heroes of Olympus. Was contemplating posting it on YouTube but then I found out that the song I used is blocked in like a few hundred countries. So yeah. Not happening. Even though I found other videos using that same song and they weren't blocked, but I am a rule follower so the video will not be posted. Hmph. Whatever.
> 
> Well. Happy reading to you!


	29. The Olympian Council

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty sure this whole thing is from Last Olympian with bits and pieces of Will's thoughts and commentary thrown in. Not really sure how I could have put this in without the exact dialogue, but oh well.

The Olympian Council wasn’t all that impressive, Will had to admit. Mostly, Zeus talked about how great the gods were and how brave they were. Zeus could barely get out a thank you to Poseidon and Hades, so Will wasn’t expecting much gratitude for Percy defeating Kronos.

However, Zeus surprised him.

"Which leaves us," Zeus said, "only the matter of thanking our young demigod heroes, who defended Olympus so well—even if there are a few dents in my throne." He called Thalia forward first, since she was his daughter, and promised her help in filling the Hunters' ranks.

Artemis smiled. "You have done well, my lieutenant. You have made me proud, and all those Hunters who perished in my service will never be forgotten. They will achieve Elysium, I am sure." She glared pointedly at Hades.

He shrugged. "Probably."

Artemis glared at him some more.

"Okay," Hades grumbled. "I'll streamline their application process."

Thalia beamed with pride. "Thank you, my lady." She bowed to the gods, even Hades, and then limped over to stand by Artemis's side.

"Tyson, son of Poseidon!" Zeus called.

Tyson looked nervous, but he went to stand in the middle of the Council, and Zeus grunted.

"Doesn't miss many meals, does he?" Zeus muttered. "Tyson, for your bravery in the war, and for leading the Cyclopes, you are appointed a general in the armies of Olympus. You shall henceforth lead your brethren into war whenever required by the gods. And you shall have a new… um… what kind of weapon would you like? A sword? An axe?"

"Stick!" Tyson said, showing his broken club.

"Very well," Zeus said. "We will grant you a new, er, stick. The best stick that may be found."

"Hooray!" Tyson cried, and all the Cyclopes cheered and pounded him on the back as he rejoined them.

"Grover Underwood of the satyrs!" Dionysus called.

Grover came forward nervously.

"Oh, stop chewing your shirt," Dionysus chided. "Honestly, I'm not going to blast you. For your bravery and sacrifice, blah, blah, blah, and since we have an unfortunate vacancy, the gods have seen fit to name you a member of the Council of Cloven Elders."

Grover collapsed on the spot.

"Oh, wonderful," Dionysus sighed, as several naiads came forward to help Grover. "Well, when he wakes up, someone tell him that he will no longer be an outcast, and that all satyrs, naiads, and other spirits of nature will henceforth treat him as a lord of the Wild, with all rights, privileges, and honors, blah, blah, blah. Now please, drag him off before he wakes up and starts groveling."

"FOOOOOD," Grover moaned, as the nature spirits carried him away.

Will laughed.

“Hey,” Cecil whispered, coming up next to Will. “You’re alive.”

“I’m alive,” Will agreed. “So are you.”

Athena called, "Annabeth Chase, my own daughter."

Annabeth walked forward and knelt at her mother's feet.

Athena smiled. "You, my daughter, have exceeded all expectations. You have used your wits, your strength, and your courage to defend this city, and our seat of power. It has come to our attention that Olympus is… well, trashed. The Titan lord did much damage that will have to be repaired. We could rebuild it by magic, of course, and make it just as it was. But the gods feel that the city could be improved. We will take this as an opportunity. And you, my daughter, will design these improvements."

Annabeth looked up, stunned. "My… my lady?"

Athena smiled wryly. "You are an architect, are you not? You have studied the techniques of Daedalus himself. Who better to redesign Olympus and make it a monument that will last for another eon?"

"You mean… I can design whatever I want?"

"As your heart desires," the goddess said. "Make us a city for the ages."

"As long as you have plenty of statues of me," Apollo added.

"And me," Aphrodite agreed.

"Hey, and me!" Ares said. "Big statues with huge wicked swords and—"

"All right!" Athena interrupted. "She gets the point. Rise, my daughter, official architect of Olympus."

Annabeth rose in a trance and walked back to the group.

Architect of Olympus. That was a huge honor. Especially for Annabeth who Will fondly remembered gushing about the architecture on their first trip to Olympus.

"PERCY JACKSON!" Poseidon announced. It echoed around the chamber.

The room was silent except for the crackle of the hearth fire. Percy walked into the middle of the throne room. First he bowed to Zeus. Then he knelt at Poseidon's feet.

"Rise, my son," Poseidon said.

Percy stood uneasily.

"A great hero must be rewarded," Poseidon said. "Is there anyone here who would deny that my son is deserving?"

"The Council agrees," Zeus said. "Percy Jackson, you will have one gift from the gods."

"Any gift?" Percy asked hesitantly, almost confused.

Zeus nodded grimly. "I know what you will ask. The greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on a mortal hero in many centuries, but, Perseus Jackson—if you wish it—you shall be made a god. Immortal. Undying. You shall serve as your father's lieutenant for all time."

Will’s jaw dropped and he stared at Percy. Becoming a god would be the offer of a lifetime for any demigod.

“Percy’s going to be a god,” Cecil said in awe. “Holy… he’s… wow.”

Ares and Athena both approved of the idea, though Will thought Athena might have only agreed because it would keep Percy away from Annabeth.

Percy looked back at the group of demigods. He looked like he was studying them all carefully and his expression was blank. He bit his lip and turned back to look at the gods.

“No,” he said.

“Did he just… no?” Cecil gasped. “He turned down…” he couldn’t even form a sentence.

The Council was silent. The gods frowned at each other like they must have misheard.

"No?" Zeus said. "You are… turning down our generous gift?" There was a dangerous edge to his voice, like a thunderstorm about to erupt.

_ Stupid, stupid, stupid! _ Will wanted to shout at Percy.  _ Don’t anger the gods! _

"I'm honored and everything," Percy said casually like he hadn’t just declined immortality. "Don't get me wrong. It's just… I've got a lot of life left to live. I'd hate to peak in my sophomore year."

The gods were glaring at him, but Will could see Annabeth had her hands over her mouth.

"I do want a gift, though," Percy added. "Do you promise to grant my wish?"

Zeus thought about it. "If it is within our power."

"It is," Percy said. "And it's not even difficult. But I need your promise on the River Styx."

"What?" Dionysus cried. "You don't trust us?"

"Someone once told me you should always get a solemn oath."

Hades shrugged. "Guilty."

"Very well!" Zeus growled. "In the name of the Council, we swear by the River Styx to grant your reasonable request as long as it is within our power."

The other gods muttered assent. Thunder boomed, shaking the throne room. The deal was made.

"From now on, I want you to properly recognize the children of the gods," I said. "All the children… of all the gods."

The Olympians shifted uncomfortably. 

"Percy," Poseidon said, "what exactly do you mean?"

"Kronos couldn't have risen if it hadn't been for a lot of demigods who felt abandoned by their parents," Percy explained. "They felt angry, resentful, and unloved, and they had a good reason."

Zeus's royal nostrils flared. "You dare accuse—"

"No more undetermined children," Percy interrupted. "I want you to promise to claim your children—all your demigod children—by the time they turn thirteen. They won't be left out in the world on their own at the mercy of monsters. I want them claimed and brought to camp so they can be trained right, and survive."

"Now, wait just a moment," Apollo said, but Percy cut him off.

"And the minor gods. Nemesis, Hecate, Morpheus, Janus, Hebe-—they all deserve a general amnesty and a place at Camp Half-Blood. Their children shouldn't be ignored. Calypso and the other peaceful Titan-kind should be pardoned too. And Hades—"

"Are you calling me a minor god?" Hades bellowed.

"No, my lord," Percy said quickly. "But your children should not be left out. They should have a cabin at camp. Nico has proven that. No unclaimed demigods will be crammed into the Hermes cabin anymore, wondering who their parents are. They'll have their own cabins, for all the gods. And no more pact of the Big Three. That didn't work anyway. You've got to stop trying to get rid of powerful demigods. We're going to train them and accept them instead. All children of the gods will be welcome and treated with respect. That is my wish."

Zeus snorted. "Is that all?"

"Percy," Poseidon said, "you ask much. You presume much."

"I hold you to your oath," Percy said. "All of you."

Athena spoke up. "The boy is correct. We have been unwise to ignore our children. It proved a strategic weakness in this war and almost caused our destruction. Percy Jackson, I have had my doubts about you, but perhaps… perhaps I was mistaken. I move that we accept the boy's plan."

"Humph," Zeus said. "Being told what to do by a mere child. But I suppose…"

"All in favor," Hermes said.

All the gods raised their hands.

"Um, thanks," Percy said. He turned to leave.

Poseidon called, "Honor guard!"

Immediately the Cyclopes came forward and made two lines from the thrones to the door—an aisle for Percy to walk through. They came to attention.

"All hail, Perseus Jackson," Tyson said. "Hero of Olympus… and my big brother!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done covering the events of the PJO series. Soon, I'll be moving on to the in between the series and then HoO series. I haven't decided if I'm going to do up to ToA or just stop at the end of BoO. Most likely it will be up to ToA though. I'm thinking this will end up being around fifty chapters. Chapter 38 is when the Argo II sets off and I'm not sure how many chapters there will be between that and the next time we see Will which is in BoO. Maybe two? Then at least five for after the giant war up until Apollo pops out of the woods. I dunno. We'll figure this out.
> 
> Don't worry though. I got a whole mess of stories lined up to start after this. One of which will be a little companion piece to both this story and When They Came with Will's perspective of why-the-Hades-did-Nico-do-a-complete-360-oh-and-Percy-and-Annabeth-are-acting-really-weird. I'll definitely work some more on my Supernatural and Nico crossover miniverse. Plus I have another story in the works that I haven't decided if it will come after the sequel to When They Came or not. Could go either way really. And I'm not sure about reading the books fics (supposedly it's better to post them here than ffn? is that true?), but I do have one that I'm working on.
> 
> But you guys don't want to hear about stuff that hasn't been posted yet. Anyway, since this was kind of a lame chapter since you all know this from reading the books, Imma post the next chapter which has got WAY more of my own content than Rick's.


	30. Back at Camp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from the Last Olympian

The ride back to Camp was silent. Will stared out the window as the Manhattan landscape rushed by. The past few days he had been running up and down these streets in a fight for his life while the mortals slept ignorantly. Now, the mortals walked around like nothing had happened at all. They would never know what really happened.

They wouldn’t know that the freak storm that tore a path of destruction across the US was really Typhon and it had taken Poseidon and his underwater army to bring the monster down.

They wouldn’t know some of their cell phones were missing because a bunch of kids needed to contact each other to coordinate how to best hold Manhattan.

They wouldn’t know that the reason the Plaza currently had a trashed penthouse and ripped curtains was because that had been the base of a group of demigod teenagers and they needed anything they could get to bandage wounds.

They wouldn’t know that they had been robbed of all their painkillers and bandages because demigods were dying or wounded and it was the only thing Will could do to try and save them.

They wouldn’t know the statues were all over the place because Daedalus had made automatons out of them.

They wouldn’t know the Williamsburg Bridge had a gap in the middle because Percy had caused an earthquake to prevent Kronos from entering Manhattan that way. They wouldn’t know that was the last time Will ever saw his brother Michael either.

No one except Will and the other campers would ever know how much was lost in a short three days. And it sucked.

The gods had taken care of transporting the dead back to camp which was a relief to Will. He didn’t think he could handle loading a mass of bodies into the Camp vans. He was completely, emotionally, and physically exhausted.

When they finally reached Camp, it felt surreal. Everything was so peaceful and calm like there was nothing wrong in the world. It was like arriving at Camp for the first time. The cabins were bright in the sunshine and the fields glittered with dew.

Percy, Annabeth, and Nico were standing outside the Big House.

“Hey!” Travis shouted to them. “Can you give us a hand? Injured campers gotta get to the infirmary!”

Percy and Annabeth started to walk towards them with Nico trailing behind them carefully.

“Come on, slowpokes!” Thalia teased. “No rest for you heroes.”

Nico rolled his eyes while Percy and Annabeth laughed.

Stretchers were used to carry some of the more grievously injured to the infirmary. Will and his siblings were already at the infirmary waiting for the injured campers to arrive.

Once Will and his siblings had gotten the injured campers and Hunters mostly healed, he went down to the amphitheater where the dead lay wrapped in their shrouds. Four golden shrouds. He knew which of his siblings needed a shroud. Only two bodies could be wrapped. Two bodies were missing.

Will pulled back the fabric of one of the only two to contain bodies to reveal a pale face. Alice.

“So much for taking care of yourself,” he said quietly. “You… you should have known better, Alice. I really need you right now.” Will squeezed his eyes shut. “I could have saved you. I could have saved you.”

.

Before dinner, everyone gathered at the campfire to give the dead the proper funeral rites. This was of course led by Nico who had rolled his eyes and dragged himself to the front complaining that they were doing a good job of butchering the rites.

Dinner at the pavilion was low-key. The only highlight was Juniper the tree nymph, who screamed, "Grover!" and gave her boyfriend a flying tackle hug, making everybody cheer. They went down to the beach to take a moonlit walk.

Mrs. O'Leary romped around happily, eating everybody's table scraps. Nico sat at the main table with Chiron and Mr. D, and nobody seemed to think this was out of place. Everybody was patting Nico on the back, complimenting him on his fighting. Will almost went up to him, but he figured the kid had been getting enough of the same compliment to last a lifetime.

Will started when he realized his siblings were waiting for him to lead them to the campfire for the sing-along. He winced and decided to delegate the actual task of leading the sing-along to Kayla.

“Hey!” Travis suddenly shouted. “Where’s Percy and Annabeth?”

Clarisse got a really feral looking grin. “Oh I bet I know. Why do you think Prissy turned down immortality?” She got up and headed back towards the pavilion with the rest of the campers in tow.

“...never, ever going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth was saying. “Get used to it.” Then she kissed him.

“Well, it’s about time!” Clarisse interrupted them. They sprang apart.

"Oh, come on!" Percy complained. "Is there no privacy?"

"The lovebirds need to cool off!" Clarisse said with glee.

"The canoe lake!" Connor said eagerly.

With a huge cheer, they carried Percy and Annabeth down the hill to the lake. They tossed the new couple into the water with a cheer. When the couple didn’t come up, the cheerful atmosphere faded.

“Oh my gods we killed them!” someone shouted.

Will smacked his forehead. “Percy can breath underwater,” he reminded them. “Plus he can control water. I doubt he’d let Annabeth drown. He’s probably got a little air bubble under there.”

“Cheater!” Thalia shouted at the water. But she was laughing.

.

That night, he dreamed.

_ “Sorry for shoving this on you,” Alice said from next to Will. _

_ Will glanced over at her. “Huh?” He did a double take. “Alice?” _

_ Alice grinned. “Hey. So. I died. Whoops.” _

_ “That’s not even funny,” Will said, glaring at her. “You were going to go to college, Alice! Why didn’t you say anything? I could have saved you!” _

_ “I know,” Alice rolled her eyes. “I heard you talking to my cold, dead corpse.” _

_ Will ignored her dry humor. “I really need you. I don’t know how to be head counselor, Alice.” _

_ Alice patted his shoulder. “I think you’ll be a great head counselor. I can’t just tell you what to do though. Even if I wasn’t dead. Then  _ I’d _ be the head counselor. Not you.” _

_ “I don’t want to be head counselor though,” Will said quietly. “I want Michael to do it. No, I want Lee to be head again. I wish none of this had ever happened.” _

_ “Me too,” Alice agreed, “but it did happen and now all we can do is keep moving forward.” She paused. “All you can do, actually. Whatever. Lee and Michael are probably in Elysium right now having one of their stupid archery contests. I’ll be on my way to go tell them how dumb those things are.” _

_ Will snorted. “I don’t know why they ever bothered. Who can hit the most bullseyes in a row? It’s not like either of them could shoot anything other than a bullseye.” He smiled wistfully. “I bet you’re right though. Sounds like something they’d do even when they’re dead.” _

_ “Of course I’m right,” Alice laughed. She looked Will in the eyes. “You’re going to be great, okay? You’ve got the rest of our siblings to help you when you need it, but trust me. You are going to do just fine on your own. You’re a leader, Will. Even if you don’t see it, I do. Our siblings do. Why else would we have elected you to lead?” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Few things.
> 
> First, I honestly have no idea if Nico lead the funeral rites, but I figured that based on what he was saying in BoO about them screwing up the rites in his absence and given that he left Camp sometime in September I believe, this was probably one of the only times they actually had to use the funeral rites, so he had to have done them.
> 
> Second, Alice was going to die and be the Apollo kid under the shroud that Percy comments on when he goes up to Olympus to give Hestia Pandora's box (I think that's when he went?). Then, I decided she would live because I figured that y'all would see that coming and I wanted to give Will a break. THEN, I decided that since I had already wrote in the backstory for Alice to die (recall that wound she and Will talked about), I would just kill her off anyway. So... apologies for that!
> 
> Third... well, I don't have a third. Good night everyone! Hope you are still enjoying the story. Love you all!


	31. End of Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from the Last Olympian

The first head counselor meeting Will had to attend was three days after the battle had ended.

“We need to assign cabin numbers for the new cabins,” Annabeth said at the beginning of the meeting. “I don’t want to offend any of the gods or goddesses, but I figured we should start with the ones that actually have kids here right now.”

“Makes sense,” Jake agreed.

Percy scratched his head. “I guess I didn’t really think about that when I made that request. Uh, well, you’re right about getting cabins for the kids who are already here.”

Annabeth smiled. “Of course I am, Seaweed Brain.”

“Haha,” Percy grumbled. “I vote we start with Hades cabin.”

Nico’s gaze snapped to Percy. “Huh?”

“Well, he is part of the Big Three,” Percy explained. “Plus he isn’t a minor god, so it makes sense that for the cabin numbers his number comes after the Olympians, but before the minor gods and goddess.”

“Not just because it would be Cabin 13?” Nico asked wryly. “Unlucky 13 and all that.”

Percy blanched. “What? No! I mean, we can pick a different number. We could just skip 13. Would that be better?”

“I’m kidding,” Nico rolled his eyes. “I was going to request 13 anyway.”

Travis and Connor grinned while Thalia snorted. Will suppress a laugh.

“Only you,” Thalia said, shaking her head. “Okay, that’s Hades. What about Iris, Hypnos, Nemesis, and Nike?”

“14, 15, 16, 17,” Clarisse said in a bored voice. “Are we done?”

“Not quite,” Chiron said, jolting Will. The centaur hadn’t said anything so far and Will had forgotten he was there.

The happy energy seemed to drain out when they saw the grave face Chiron was making.

“As you know, the Titans were defeated, but not without losses on our side,” Chiron began. “I do not wish to impose such a task on yourselves, but there is the matter of informing the mortal parents.”

Will swallowed. He didn’t know what kind of relationship his siblings had with their mortal parent or family. Nor had he ever met any of his siblings’ parents.

“I already talked to Silena’s dad,” Clarisse said abruptly. She looked at Chiron challengingly as if daring him to reprimand her for sneaking out of camp.

Will noticed Drew Tanaka, the new Aphrodite head counselor, tisk softly and purse her lips.

“I think we should have the older campers go,” Annabeth suggested quietly. “Not all of us are the oldest of course, so… it just doesn’t seem fair to make some of us tell them.”

That was true enough. Will certainly wasn’t the oldest in his cabin though he had been elected to head counselor. Despite his younger age, he had been at Camp for four years and throughout Lee’s and Michael’s leadership, he had pretty much taken over the infirmary making him the most qualified (at least in his siblings’ minds) to take charge of leading Apollo cabin.

On the other hand, most of the head counselors were around the same age. Percy, Annabeth, and Connor were 16; Clarisse and Travis were 17; Katie and Jake were 15; Will was 13 almost 14; Pollux and Drew were 14; Thalia was technically 19 even though she looked 15 or 16; and Nico… well, Will wasn’t sure how old he was, but he looked about 12 or 13. The point was, all of them were teenagers that had now been through a war. And it was kind of offensive that Annabeth was implying that some of them couldn’t handle the job.

“We can figure out who will go later,” Katie said. “What we need to do now is get a list of everyone and find out who their parent is and where they live. Some parents are going to start showing up this weekend to pick up their kids, and I’d rather tell them privately.”

“She’s right,” Jake agreed. “On that note, we need to figure out how to handle the parents that are on their way already.” He winced. “Uh, that came out bad. I mean, what do we do when the parents get here?”

“Tell them what happened,” Thalia said bluntly. “The truth. Kronos tried to take over, and their son or daughter gave their life trying to stop him. But… be tactful,” she added. “Personally, I’d be angry if some teenager told me my kid was dead and here’s their stuff.” She made a face. “I do  _ not _ want kids.”

Annabeth snorted, Percy following not long after. Soon, the whole room sounded of laughter and giggles. Will was grinning. So this was what a typical head counselor meeting was like.

.

The new girl frightened Will. Admittedly, she didn’t seem scary or mean, but she looked like  _ him _ . Which definitely made sense considering they were siblings. Half-siblings anyway.

Lou Ellen Blackstone arrived at Camp Half-Blood a couple days later. Almost immediately, she had been claimed by Hecate, prompting the planning of Cabin 20.

Will just couldn’t get over the fact that she very much so resembled Alabaster Torrington. The same green eyes and dark brown hair. Though Lou Ellen’s eyes sparkled with excitement and mischief unlike her half-brother’s angry and indifferent eyes.

Cecil seemed to like her. Upon Lou Ellen’s discovery of the fact that she could manipulate the Mist, the two had started whispering back and forth. Probably planning the next greatest prank to keep themselves occupied this winter. Will feared for the safety of the campers.

Given the arrival and immediate friendship of Lou Ellen, Will had not been able to spend as much time with his friend as he would have liked. Not to mention, there was a startling amount of injuries from cabin building related incidents.

Speaking of cabin building…

From what he had been able to observe, Nico di Angelo had been busy… sitting around watching skeletons construct a black cabin. Occasionally, Percy and Annabeth would stop and talk to him, but that only seemed to make Nico appear more sullen. The son of Hades was clearly  _ not _ a people person. Seeing him shut out Percy and Annabeth slightly discouraged Will from approaching Nico. Perhaps giving him time to adjust to Camp life would be better.

.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare was now a regular at the Apollo table. Since she was the new Oracle, it seemed only right to allow her to sit at her patron’s table.

She was nice, Will decided. If not a bit wild.

“You’re leaving for school soon, right?” Kayla asked.

Rachel nodded glumly. “I promised my dad I’d try the stupid finishing school. It was worth it though,” she said with a small smile. “I warned Percy, got to become the Oracle, and now I’m very much involved in the Greek life.”

“Crazy mortal,” Kayla teased.

“What can I say?” Rachel asked with a grin. “Ever since Percy tried to cut me in half, I’ve always had a desire to live in a world of monsters and heroes.”

“Percy did what?” Austin choked.

Rachel laughed. “Funny story. I was at the Hoover Dam, oh, about two years ago? Anyway, I blew my nose behind Percy, and he jumped about ten feet before turning around and swinging his sword. It passed through me obviously, but it startled me for sure.”

“Why was swinging his sword his first response to someone blowing their nose?” Will complained. “Imagine if you weren’t mortal. He could have killed you.”

“Eh, I think he thought I sounded like one of those skeleton warriors that was chasing him,” Rachel shrugged.

“Skeleton warriors?” Will asked, eyes flitting over to the new Hades table where Nico sat alone.

Rachel followed his glance. “It wasn’t Nico if that’s what you were wondering. I’m not sure, but from what Percy told me, this was before anyone knew Hades was Nico’s dad. Plus, he said it was Lu- Atlas who had ordered the skeletons to find Percy.” She frowned.

Kayla looked at Will. “Still on this are you?”

“It was a reasonable assumption,” Will protested. “Skeleton warriors. It fits.”

“Don’t assume,” Kayla snickered. “It makes an-”

“Whatever,” Will snapped. “Can’t we talk about something else?”

Austin shifted. “Uh,” he glanced at Rachel, “is it insensitive to ask if anyone has any thoughts on the next Great Prophecy?”

Rachel gave him an amused look. “I don’t know what the lines mean if that’s what you want to know. I just know that there will be seven powerful demigods that will one day probably save the world.”

“You know, after it falls to storm or fire,” Austin added unhelpfully.

“Mmh, yeah, after that,” Rachel nodded. She grinned sarcastically. “Tough luck for that generation, am I right?” Her eyes widened and she quickly rapped the table. “Knock on wood.”

“Too late,” Will said, shaking his head. “You already jinxed us.”

.

On the final night of camp, the Hephaestus cabin handed out the bead for that year. It showed the Empire State Building, and etched in tiny Greek letters, spiraling around the image, were the names of all the heroes who had died defending Olympus.

"Never forget this summer!" Chiron told them. "We have discovered bravery and friendship and courage this summer. We have upheld the honor of the camp."

Everyone cheered.

"And now," Chiron said, "early to bed! Remember, you must vacate your cabins by noon tomorrow unless you've made arrangements to stay the year with us. The cleaning harpies will eat any stragglers, and I'd hate to end the summer on a sour note!"

Good old Chiron with the encouraging pep talks, Will thought fondly.

When they got back to the cabin, Will looked at his siblings. “Gotta love Chiron’s speeches, but seriously, do not forget to make arrangements if you’re staying. I don’t think he’s joking about the harpies.”

Lydia squeaked and fell into her bed.

Kayla shot Will a glare. “He’s kidding,” she said pointedly. “Chiron wouldn’t let anyone get eaten.”

“Not true,” Will corrected. “Remember when those harpies were complaining to Mr. D that Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson snuck away and they didn’t get to eat them?”

“Tantalus was in charge then, not Chiron,” Kayla snapped. “Stop freaking Lydia out, Will.”

“I just don’t want any of you guys getting eaten.”

“NO ONE’S GETTING EATEN!”

.

The next morning, most of the campers headed back to the mortal world. Some parents picked up their kids, while the Camp vans drove other kids into the city to catch their plane back home. It was almost like any other end of summer.

There was an unusually high number of campers staying for the rest of the year. It would be nice to have a fuller camp during the winter for once.

All the same, with the new faces and the ever growing number of newly discovered demigods, Will couldn’t help wondering about the prophecy.

Chiron and Rachel had announced the new Great Prophecy the day after the war ended.

_ Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. _

_ To storm or fire the world must fall. _

_ An oath to keep with a final breath, _

_ And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. _

It was chilling if anything. They had all looked to Nico upon hearing the final line, but he had just glared and said, “Just because I’m the son of Hades doesn’t mean I know about these Doors.”

The seven half-bloods could be any of the campers around Will now, and he had to admit, it was kind of exciting to think about. Sure, the last Great Prophecy had happened in his lifetime, but it had been made way back in the 1930s or 40s. Will had to wonder if the new one would happen in his lifetime.

“Thinking about the prophecy?” Kayla asked.

Will grinned wryly. “Yep. Would be pretty cool to see it happen in our lifetime. I wonder who the seven are.”

Kayla shook her head. “Ugh. I’m hoping for a peaceful few years.”

“Wouldn’t be Camp Half-Blood if it was peaceful,” Will pointed out.

“Probably was peaceful before Percy Jackson came to Camp,” Kayla muttered. “I’m just asking for two maybe three years. Even better, make it a problem for a whole different generation of demigods.”

“That’s unlikely,” Will snorted. “I mean, these seven have to be pretty powerful. Percy, Thalia, and Nico fit that. Who knows, maybe there’s four other kids of the Big Three out there.”

“Who knows,” Kayla repeated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I completely made up the ages. Percy and Annabeth I knew for sure were 16. Clarisse and Travis have to be a year older than then because in Percy's senior year, they've gone off to their first year of college (as stated in Hidden Oracle) which puts them at 17. Thalia of course is eternally 15 almost 16. Nico is 13 at this point. Will is also 13, but he's days away from turning 14. Those were the only ones I knew for sure. I put Connor at a year younger than Travis because it's always stated that they look so much alike even though they aren't actually twins. I figure they have to be pretty close in age to look so much alike and not be able to tell by the obvious age difference. Katie was placed at 15 because I wanted to have her somewhat close in age to Travis seeing as Tratie is a popular ship and I didn't want to make her 12 or something while he's 17. As for Jake, Pollux, and Drew... I just filled them in wherever.
> 
> I wanted to somewhat address the glaring issue of how did they inform the dead kids' parents. I definitely feel like Clarisse would have talked to Silena's dad, but I wasn't sure about the rest of them. I don't actually cover the telling of the parents because I feel like unless there's a special request, that task would fall to the older campers (16, 17, 18 ish), Chiron, and the satyrs. Like, I think it's wrong to make a tween deliver news like that, so obviously Will was not going to get that job.
> 
> And aw man, Rachel! You totally jinxed them! Oh well. I mean, I think they all knew with Percy Jackson around life would never be normal again.


	32. Missing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting early because I'm bored. Might post another chapter tonight too.

He probably should have expected this to happen. Now he just felt stupid. And incredibly, incredibly guilty that he didn’t do something sooner.

Nico di Angelo had disappeared from Camp without so much as a goodbye. From what little Will could find out, he had left on his own choice, but for the life of him, Will could not figure out a single clue as to why Nico had left.

“I don’t get it,” Will complained to his siblings at lunch. “Why would he leave?”

Austin looked uncomfortable. “Well, he  _ is _ a son of Hades. Some people have been talking. It’s… well, it’s not all nice.”

Will blinked. “Huh?”

“You haven’t heard what anyone’s been saying about him?” Austin asked, seriously looking like he regretted speaking. He sighed. “Well, like, everyone was pretty cool with him for the first couple weeks, right? I mean, he did kinda save our butts when he showed up with Hades, Demeter, and Persephone. But now that the novelty has worn off… you remember how Michael was about him. And he doesn’t really… talk to anyone. Kinda just pushes everyone away.”

“But that’s stupid,” Will protested. “Not everyone thinks that way. There’s plenty of people here who don’t mind him.”

Kayla hid a smile behind her cup of water. “Like you?”

“Yes, like me,” Will nodded. “And Percy and Annabeth don’t mind. I saw them talking with Nico a few times. I don’t think the Ares kids mind him at all either.”

“But mostly you, right?” Kayla chortled.

Will rolled his eyes. “What is so funny?”

Austin seemed to catch on because he grinned.

“You’ve got it bad, brother,” Kayla informed Will.

“I do not have it bad,” Will said, flushing.

“You have it bad,” Austin backed Kayla up.

Will sighed and laid his forehead over his arms. “I hate you both,” he mumbled into the table.

“What’s got him so down?” someone asked.

Will propped his head up to see Lou Ellen and Cecil staring down at him. He glared at Kayla and Austin as they cracked up.

“Are we missing something?” Lou Ellen asked in confusion. “I was only curious because Will seems like he’s always a ray of sunshine. Pun intended,” she added with a grin.

Kayla smiled. “It’s Nico di Angelo. Will’s obsession.”

“I am not obsessed.”

“You are actually,” Cecil said thoughtfully. “You know, I never really thought about it, but you do spend a lot of time wondering about him.”

“I think it’s adorable,” Kayla said teasingly. “If the dark, brooding ones are your type-”

“Just remember that I’m your doctor and I will happily name each bone I break as I break it-”

“You’re scary,” Cecil mumbled. “When did you get so scary?”

Austin looked like he was trying hard not to smile. “Since he started obsessing over a certain son of Hades.”

“Oh my gods,” Will groaned. “Just kill me now.”

“So you can go to the Underworld and find Nico?” Lou Ellen asked innocently.

Kayla, Austin, and Cecil erupted into laughter. Tears were streaming down their faces.

“I like her!” Kayla said through her laughs.

Cecil shot her a thumbs up. “Taught her everything I know.”

“No, you didn’t,” Lou Ellen scoffed.

.

It seemed like life at Camp Half-Blood had reverted back to normal. Well, as normal as you could get in a mythical camp for demigods anyway.

The Hades Cabin had not been completed before Nico left, so that task had fallen to the Athena and Hephaestus cabins. Drew had volunteered herself and the rest of the Aphrodite cabin to take care of the interior design.

Meanwhile, Will had slowly gotten used to Lou Ellen.

And then the dragon happened.

A year ago, Percy and Beckendorf had recovered the remains of a bronze dragon that apparently used to guard the camp. Possibly before the barrier. Anyway, the dragon had been added to their defenses in case the Titan army decided to attack.

Now, the dragon was gone. Missing. Running around the forest like it owned the place. Occasionally, it came into camp to cause chaos, but then it left as soon as it appeared. No one had been able to get close enough to deactivate the automaton.

At first, it seemed like no big deal. They could figure out a way to stop the dragon, reprogram it, and everything would be fine.

But everything the Hephaestus cabin tried seemed to fail. It was almost like they were cursed which is exactly what they started to claim.

Things had really taken a turn for the worst when Jake Mason almost got the dragon in early December. Will didn’t know what happened to the head counselor, but he would never forget the sight of Jake’s battered, bruised, and bloody form as he was rushed to a bed in the infirmary.

It had taken Will and Kayla together working for hours to completely clean the blood away and properly bandage and set all of Jake’s injuries.

“You’ll be okay,” Will told him, “but it’s going to take a while to heal. I’m keeping you here for  _ at least _ five days.”

Jake mumbled something unintelligible.

The incident had been the ultimate low point for Camp. When Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase had returned for winter break, they had offered to help search, but Jake and his siblings had been quick to discourage that idea.

The next morning, Percy was gone.

Annabeth searched everywhere for him, but he was simply not there.

The whole camp had frantically run through the woods calling for Percy, and in a last ditch desperation attempt, a few of them even braved going near Zeus’ Fist. Something no one who had been at the Battle of the Labyrinth had attempted to do until now.

It was no use. Percy Jackson was missing, and they had no clues about his whereabouts. Annabeth had sent Iris Messages to the Hunters of Artemis and Nico di Angelo who, surprisingly enough, appeared almost minutes later.

He looked a lot different than he had when Will had last seen him at the end of summer. He was older and more confident looking. But there seemed to be a huge weight on his shoulders that hadn’t been there before.

“Thalia said she and the Hunters will be on the lookout for him,” Annabeth said shakily at the head meeting. “I don’t understand. Why would he leave? Where would he go?”

Nico looked uncomfortable. “I’m sure there’s a good reason for him leaving, Annabeth. He wouldn’t leave without an explanation for no reason. That’s… that’s not who Percy is.” He glared at the table in front of him.

“No, no, he’s right,” Lou Ellen agreed. “I mean, I’ve known Percy for what? Two days? And I know that he wouldn’t just leave you without an explanation.”

Chiara Benvenuti smiled. “Piccioncini. Adorabile.”

Nico snorted. “Cervello di alghe innamorato,” he said. “È disgustoso.”

“Hey!” Chiara protested. “I think it’s cute. And since when do you speak Italian?”

“I grew up in Venice,” Nico said shortly. “I’ll be in the Underworld a lot, but I’ll ask around if anyone’s seen him. If I can get away for a little bit, I’ll shadow travel around the world. But I’m sure he’ll turn up.” He paused. “He’s definitely still alive. I’d know if he wasn’t.”

“Right,” Annabeth sniffed. “Thanks, Nico. And thanks for coming so quick.”

Nico nodded stiffly. “Uh huh.”

“What about Rachel?” Will blurted. “Have you tried to contact her yet? She might know where he is.”

Annabeth shook her head. “I asked her, but she doesn’t know. She should be here in a few days though.”

“That’s great,” Travis said eagerly. “We can get a prophecy, assign a quest, and find Percy. Easy peasy.”

Will thought he saw Nico’s lips pinch together and a distasteful look appear on his face, but he lost the look for his typical scowl.

“Might not be so easy,” Butch said warningly. “I mean, with Olympus closed… I get the feeling something must be happening.”

Miranda Gardiner frowned. “We  _ just _ won a war!” she protested. “A little break from the action would be nice.”

“Well if that’s all, I’m going to go,” Nico said loudly, standing up. “I’ll let you know what I find, Annabeth.” He disappeared into a shadow in the corner of the room.

Will looked at the spot where Nico had disappeared with mild annoyance.

.

“He speaks Italian,” Lou Ellen said gleefully to Cecil after the meeting. She smirked. “Will, did you know that?”

Will rolled his eyes. “I’ve never even talked to Nico. Besides, he’s not exactly forthcoming with personal information. I’m pretty sure all anyone knows about him is his name, his father’s name, his powers, and… yep. That’s it.”

Cecil shook his head. “You know he used to play mythomagic.”

“I do know that,” Will agreed. “But so does anyone else who was at Camp when he first got here.”

“Not really,” Cecil pointed out. “I mean, I do, but only because you’re obsessed with him. Everyone else kinda wrote off any, uh, deserters. You remember what it was like with demigods disappearing left and right. If you left Camp Half-Blood, it was probably to join-” he cut himself off abruptly. “Anyway, the point is that you’re obsessed and you know more than anyone else about Nico.”

“And now he speaks Italian,” Lou Ellen added. “Don’t think I didn’t miss that look after he disappeared.” She grinned. “Pretty sure Austin and Kayla are right. You. Have. It. Bad. Come on, Will. You know it. You’re in denial. It’s not just a river in Egypt, you know.”

“That ‘look’ you saw was because he shouldn’t be over exerting himself,” Will said, crossing his arms. “Disappearing into shadows, summoning skeletons. It’s all I ever seen him do. He needs to stop using those… those…  _ underworld-y _ powers every chance he gets. Especially if he’s going to be using them to look for Percy. Who knows where he is? Nico could end up in China or Siberia or Antarctica or something?” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. Next time I see Nico di Angelo, I’m going to talk to him and make him see reason.”

“Absolutely, lover boy,” Lou Ellen agreed wholeheartedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Piccioncini --> lovebirds  
> Adorabile --> adorable  
> Cervello di alghe innamorato --> lovesick seaweed brain  
> È disgustoso --> it’s disgusting
> 
> I don't know if Chiara is a head counselor, but she's the only child of Tyche so I put her as one for now.
> 
> Oooh, we're about to get into Heroes of Olympus now!
> 
> Also, DISNEY+? I saw a YouTube video with a reaction to the announcement and "Percy Jackson coming to Disney+" was in the title and I was like "do not get your hopes up. don't do it". But then I watched it and I freaked out! Guys, I'm so excited! It sounds like it will be a TV show, so can we hope that maybe we'll get to see a little more of some of the lesser characters like Will Solace, Katie Gardner, Travis and Connor Stoll, etc.? That would be amazhang! Ahhhh! Finally it's happening!
> 
> Okay, okay. I'm sure you've all heard this enough, so I'll just leave you to go on your merry way.
> 
> (hey, how about a few spin offs? we got Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase... series isn't even out and I'm already talking about spin offs)
> 
> For real this time. Enjoy your lives and celebrate!


	33. Extraction Team

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from the Lost Hero

“You want to borrow the what?”

Annabeth glared at Will. “Your stupid chariot. The stupid chariot that almost got us slaughtered by Titans! I want to borrow it.”

Butch placed a hand on Annabeth’s shoulder. “Hey, Annabeth, chill.”

“I know!” Annabeth snapped. She took a deep breath. “Hera told me where I should look for Percy. I was hoping Butch and I could borrow your flying chariot for the extraction. I guess my sign is somewhere with those demigods Gleeson Hedge found.”

Right. Despite what Percy had made the gods promise last August, there were two demigods ages 15 who were still unclaimed. The satyr that had found them, Gleeson Hedge, claimed they were pretty powerful, and he knew there was a monster there, just not who the monster was. With everything that had happened with Percy disappearing, Annabeth had not wanted to pull away any resources that could be finding Percy, but she had reluctantly agreed that it wasn’t worth two untrained half-bloods dying because no one came to help get them to camp.

“Yeah, okay,” Will sighed. “You can borrow it. But I want it back.”

“Thanks, Will,” Annabeth said, giving him the most genuine smile he’d seen on her in the past few days.

Will gave her a small smile back. “I just hope you find Percy. He’s lucky to have you.”

“ _ I’m _ lucky to have  _ him _ ,” Annabeth said, shaking her head. “But don’t tell him I said that.”

“Pinky promise,” Will laughed. “Good luck.”

They probably wouldn’t be back until that afternoon, but it wasn’t like Will was going to be using the flying chariot for anything. Kayla had tried to get Chiron to let them use it for chariot races, but that idea had been quickly vetoed unanimously by the other campers.

In any case, it was December and things were pretty slow going at camp. By now, some of the new campers had received adequate enough training to return to their families for the rest of the school year, so activity had somewhat slowed down.

“Oh, good. You’re alive,” Lou Ellen noted brightly. “I was worried for a second. Thought Annabeth might have killed you.”

Cecil nodded. “What did she want? You didn’t kidnap Percy, did you?”

Will snorted. “As if. She just wanted to borrow the chariot for the extraction today. She says Hera told her to go.”

“Percy’s there then!” Cecil exclaimed. “Great! I was worried he’d never show up.”

Will didn’t bother telling Cecil that the way Annabeth had worded it made it sound like there was a chance Percy might not be there. Although, Annabeth certainly believed Percy was going to be there, so maybe she was too excited to speak properly. No use thinking about it now. Any hint of information about Percy would be helpful.

It was after lunch when Will finally saw the flying chariot returning. He grinned until suddenly, the chariot began descending at an alarming speed and it was still too far away for it to be coming in for a landing just yet.

“I’m going to kill her,” he muttered.

Lou Ellen and Cecil exchanged worried looks. “Uh, Will-”

But Will was already marching towards the beach where he saw the chariot crashland into the lake with a  _ SPLASH! _

“Dry them off!” Will ordered some of the demigods standing around watching the nymphs drag three teenagers out of the water. “Before they get hypothermia!” He pushed his way to the front. “Annabeth! I said you could  _ borrow _ the chariot, not destroy it!”

“Will, I’m sorry,” Annabeth sighed. “I’ll get it fixed, I promise.”

He scowled and examined the wreckage. They could probably fix it. With the amount of chariots destroyed in the races, they all had plenty of experience fixing chariots. Will looked at the three unfamiliar teens. “These are the ones? Way older than thirteen. Why haven’t they been claimed already?”

“Claimed?” one of them, a boy with dark curly hair, asked.

Will ignored him. “Any sign of Percy?” he asked, though he didn’t see the familiar black haired, sea green eyed son of Poseidon anywhere. Unless he was at the bottom of the lake chatting with the nymphs.

Annabeth’s eyes turned sad. “No,” she admitted.

The campers muttered in disappointment.

“Well, I hope they’re worth the trouble,” Drew spoke up.

The same boy as before snorted. “Gee, thanks. What are we, your new pets?”

“No kidding,” the other boy agreed. He had short blonde hair. “How about some answers before you start judging us - like, what is this place, why are we here, how long do we have to stay?”

“Jason,” Annabeth said, addressing the blonde boy, “I promise we’ll answer your questions. And Drew,” she said, frowning at the Aphrodite head counselor, “all demigods are worth saving. But I’ll admit, the trip didn’t accomplish what I hoped.”

“Hey,” the new girl, the last of the new trio, said, “we didn’t ask to be brought here.”

“And nobody wants you, hon,” Drew sniffed. “Does your hair always look like a dead badger?”

The new girl looked murderous, but Annabeth held up a hand. “Piper, stop.” Then she glared at Drew. “We need to make our new arrivals feel welcome. We‘ll assign them each a guide, give them a tour of camp. Hopefully by the campfire tonight, they‘ll be claimed.”

“Would somebody tell me what claimed means?” Piper demanded.

A red light flickered above the first boy’s head. It was a blazing holographic image of a fiery hammer. The campers gasped.

“That is claiming,” Annabeth said, looking unaffected.

“What’d I do?” the boy asked. He caught sight of his reflection in the lake and yelped. “Is my hair on fire?” He ducked, but the symbol followed him.

“This can’t be good,” Butch muttered. “The curse-”

“Butch, shut up,” Annabeth said. She looked at the boy. “Leo, you’ve just been claimed-”

“By a god,” Jason interrupted. “That’s the symbol of Vulcan, isn’t it?”

Will raised an eyebrow.  _ Vulcan _ ? The fiery hammer was a symbol of  _ Hephaestus _ as far as he knew.

Annabeth looked suspicious. “Jason, how did you know that?”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted.

“Vulcan?” Leo demanded. “I don’t even LIKE Star Trek. What are you talking about?”

“Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus,” Annabeth explained, “the god of blacksmiths and fire.”

The fiery hammer faded, but Leo kept swatting the air like he was afraid it was following him.

“The god of what? Who?” Leo asked.

Annabeth looked at Will. “Will, would you take Leo, give him a tour? Introduce him to his bunk-mates in Cabin Nine.”

Will nodded. “Sure, Annabeth.” He scrunched up his nose upon realizing he was given this task since the Hephaestus kids had mostly kept themselves locked in their cabin thinking of ways to stop the dragon from terrorizing camp.

“What‘s Cabin Nine?” Leo asked. “And I‘m not a Vulcan!”

Will grinned. “Come on, Mr. Spock, I’ll explain everything.” He put a hand on his shoulder and steered him off towards the cabins. On the way he explained a few things. “So, welcome to Camp Half-Blood. That beach you just crashed into sometimes has Greek warships which we practice fighting on.” He frowned. “We’ve used them to train with explosives too.”

“Sweet,” Leo said, looking impressed.

“And of course, arts and crafts,” Will said, gesturing to the building. “Extreme sculpting. Mortals use chisels, we use chainsaws and blowtorches.”

Leo grinned. “Dude, seriously? Sign me up! I love this place already.”

“Oh!” Will paused. “Don’t ever go into the woods alone. We keep them stocked with all types of monsters in case anyone wants to try their luck fighting a real opponent.” He winced. “We also had a slight issue with one of the campers summoning hellhounds and pit scorpions once. That’s been taken care of, but, uh, try to stay out of the woods period. You tend to live longer that way.”

“No worries,” Leo said with a shrug. “I like living. Staying alive sounds great to me.”

Will pointed out the twenty different cabins before showing Leo to the dining pavilion and the sword arena.

“Do I get a sword?” Leo asked.

Will gave him a disturbed look. “You’ll probably make your own, seeing as how you’re in Cabin Nine.” Although, the idea of Leo handling a sword was kind of alarming if Will had to admit it.

“Yeah, what’s up with that?” Leo asked, missing Will’s look. “Vulcan?”

“Usually we don‘t call the gods by their Roman names,” Will said. “The original names are Greek. Your dad is Hephaestus.”

“Festus? Sounds like the god of cowboys.”

“He-phaestus,” Will corrected. “God of blacksmiths and fire.”

Leo had an odd look when he heard that, but it went away as he asked, “So the flaming hammer over my head,” Leo said. “Good thing, or bad thing?”

Will thought for a minute. “You were claimed almost immediately,” he finally told Leo. “That’s usually good.” And considering Leo was well over 13, the fact that he was claimed upon arrival meant the gods were still trying to keep to their promise at least. Even if he was older than 13.

“But that Rainbow Pony dude, Butch,” Leo began, “he mentioned a curse.”

_ Rainbow Pony dude _ ? Butch would be happy to know this. Not. Will shook his head. “Ah… look, it’s nothing. Since Cabin Nine’s last head counselor died-”

“Died?” Leo yelped. “Like, painfully?”

Will pursed his lips. “I ought to let your bunkmates tell you about it.” Because, yes, it was probably painful. Nothing like blowing up alongside a bunch of monsters and traitor demigods in a Greek Fire explosion.

“Yeah, where are my home dawgs?” Leo wondered. “Shouldn‘t their counselor be giving me the VIP tour?”

“He, um, can‘t,” Will said awkwardly. “You‘ll see why.” He headed off towards Cabin Nine before Leo could question him more.

It wasn’t like he wanted Leo to be shoved into the mess that was the Hephaestus cabin right now without warning, but he hated being the bearer of bad news. And bad news was all the news Leo’s new siblings were involved in right now.

“That old lady…” he heard Leo say. “What’s she doing here?”

Will glanced over. “What old lady?”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Dude, the old lady. The one in black. How many old ladies do you see over there?”

Will didn’t see any old ladies. He frowned. “I think you’ve had a long day, Leo. The Mist could still be playing tricks on your mind. How about we head straight to your cabin now?”

Leo looked like he wanted to protest, but he gave Will a cheerful smile, pulled some gears and levers from his pockets, and said, “Just messing with you man. Let’s go see Cabin Nine. I’m in the mood for a good curse.”

When they reached the cabin, Leo whistled appreciatively. “They got a steampunk theme going on, huh?”

To Will, Leo looked like a kid in a candy shop. He supposed all the machinery and tools  _ would _ excite a child of Hephaestus as much as the infirmary excited Will.

Leo picked something up. “A weed whacker? What‘s the god of fire want with a weed whacker?”

“You’d be surprised,” Jake’s voice said.

Will glanced at Jake who was laying in his bed. He seemed to be healing okay, but he was still wrapped in a body cast.

“I‘m Jake Mason,” he said to Leo. “I‘d shake your hand, but…”

“Yeah,” Leo said. “Don‘t get up.”

Jake cracked a smile, then winced. “Welcome to Cabin Nine,” he said. “Been almost a year since we had any new kids. I‘m head counselor for now.”

“For now?” Leo asked.

Will cleared his throat. “So where is everybody, Jake?”

“Down at the forges,” Jake said wistfully. “They‘re working on… you know, that problem.”

“Oh,” Will said, feeling guilty that he brought that up. He knew it was probably killing Jake to be away from what he enjoyed for so long. He changed the subject. “So, you got a spare bed for Leo?”

Jake studied Leo. “You believe in curses, Leo? Or ghosts?”

“Ghosts?” Leo asked. “Pfft. Nah. I’m cool. A storm spirit chucked me down the Grand Canyon this morning, but you know, all in a day’s work, right?”

Jake nodded. “That‘s good. Because I‘ll give you the best bed in the cabin—Beckendorf‘s.”

Will’s eyes widened. “Whoa, Jake. You sure?”

“Bunk 1-A, please,” Jake called out.

Will gapped as a circular section of the floor spiraled open like a camera lens, and a full-sized bed popped up.

Leo jumped right in and lay back with arms behind his head. “I can handle this.”

“It retracts into a private room below,” Jake said.

“Oh, heck, yes,” Leo said. “See y‘all. I‘ll be down in the Leo Cave. Which button do I press?”

“Hold on,” Will protested. “You guys have private underground rooms?”

“We got lots of secrets, Will,” Jake said in an amused tone. “You Apollo guys can’t have all the fun. Our campers have been excavating the tunnel system under Cabin Nine for almost a century. We still haven’t found the end. Anyway, Leo,” Jake said, turning his attention back to his new brother, “if you don’t mind sleeping in a dead man’s bed, it’s yours.”

For some reason, this comment made Will think about Nico. Someone he had been trying very hard  _ not _ to think about, especially in front of Kayla, Austin, Lou Ellen, or Cecil. He just couldn’t help but think Nico would probably mention the fact that it was a dead man’s bed if he had been the one to show Leo the bed.

Leo’s face fell. “The counselor who died - this was his bed?”

“Yeah,” Jake said sadly. “Charles Beckendorf.”

“He didn’t, like, die in this bed, did he?” Leo asked hesitantly.

“No,” Jake said. “In the Titan War, last summer.”

Will tried to push away his emotions about that war. The Titan War had taken two of his brothers and one of his sisters from him. Others too, but Lee, Michael, and Alice had been the closest to Will, and it still hurt to think about them.

“The Titan War,” Leo repeated. “Which has nothing to do with this very fine bed?”

“The Titans,” Will said tightly. “The big powerful guys that ruled the world before the gods. They tried to make a comeback last summer. Their leader, Kronos, built a new palace on top of Mount Tam in California. Their armies came to New York and almost destroyed Mount Olympus. A lot of demigods died trying to stop them.”  _ Like my siblings _ , he added silently.

“I’m guessing this wasn’t on the news?” Leo said.

Will shook his head in disbelief. “You didn’t hear about Mount St. Helens erupting, or the freak storms across the country, or that building collapsing in St. Louis?” He took a deep breath, reminding himself that Leo didn’t know he was a demigod until today. He couldn’t be too angry that the new camper had no idea how much had been lost.

“Guess I was busy,” Leo said distantly.

“Doesn’t matter,” Jake said, clearly sensing the danger. “You were lucky to miss it. The thing is, Beckendorf was one of the first casualties, and ever since then-”

“Your cabin’s been cursed,” Leo guessed.

Jake didn’t answer. Finally, he sighed halfheartedly. “Well, I should get some sleep. I hope you like it here, Leo. It used to be… really nice.” He closed his eyes, and the camouflage curtain drew itself across the bed.

Will pulled Leo’s arm. “Come on, Leo. I’ll take you to the forges.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! The first time we really got to see Will as a character for more than his brief appearance to heal Annabeth in the Last Olympian.
> 
> Also, I finally finished Magnus Chase. I'd like a fourth book please. It was so good!


	34. Memories of a War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from the Lost Hero

They walked out of the cabin in silence and Will led the way across the grounds.

“How did he die?” Leo asked. “I mean, Beckendorf.”

“Explosion,” Will said. “Beckendorf and Percy Jackson blew up a cruise ship full of monsters. Beckendorf didn’t make it out.”

He thought back to that day a few months ago. Looking back now, it seemed stupid. His cabin was having a mini battle with the Ares cabin over a stupid flying chariot while Silena and the Hephaestus cabin were mourning the loss of their boyfriend and brother respectively. Will felt a lot worse remembering that Silena was also coming to realize that Luke had lied about anybody getting hurt. It wasn’t fair that it had taken her boyfriend's life for her to learn that. And Apollo and Ares cabins had been fighting despite that.

“So Beckendorf was pretty popular?” Leo asked, dragging Will out of his thoughts. “I mean, before he blew up?”

“He was awesome,” Will agreed. “It was hard on the whole camp when he died. Jake - he became head counselor in the middle of the war. Same as I did, actually. Jake did his best, but he never wanted to be leader. He just likes building stuff. Then after the war, things started to go wrong. Cabin Nine’s chariots blew up. Their automatons went haywire. Their inventions started to malfunction. It was like a curse, and eventually people started calling it that - the Curse of Cabin Nine. Then Jake had his accident-”

“Which had something to do with the problem he mentioned,” Leo guessed.

“They're working on it,” Will said without enthusiasm. He noticed they had arrived at the forges. “And here we are.”

They stepped through the doorway, and a dozen guys and girls who‘d been working on various projects all froze. The noise died down to the roar of the forge and the click-click-click of gears and levers.

“Sup, guys,” Will said. “This is your new brother, Leo - um, what’s your last name?”

“Valdez,” Leo supplied. He looked overwhelmed.

The Hephaestus kids all went up and introduced themselves while Will hung back. He wasn’t sure if he should leave yet or not, but he figured he could at least say goodbye to Leo before he left.

“Well, all right!” Leo said once introductions were done. “I hear this is the party cabin!”

Will winced. He patted Leo’s shoulder. “I’ll leave you guys to get acquainted. Somebody show Leo to dinner when it’s time?”

“I got it,” Nyssa said. She gave Will a halfhearted smile. “Thanks, Will. See you around.”

Will left the forges in a daze. Seeing Leo being given Beckendorf’s bed and having to explain about the Titan War… it brought a lot of bad memories to the surface. A lot of memories he’d rather repress.

“Ten golden drachmas for your thoughts?”

Will turned and gave Lou Ellen a look. “Pretty sure the saying goes ‘penny for your thoughts’ and isn’t ten drachmas worth way more than a penny?”

“Not if you go by the value of a drachma in Ancient Greek compared to the value of pennies with inflation today,” Lou Ellen grinned. “I bet ten drachmas doesn’t even come close.”

“I bet you’ve been spending too much time around Cecil and the Hermes kids,” Will said.

Lou Ellen held up her hands. “Okay. Fair. But still. You look like you’re thinking about stuff. What’s up?”

“Leo asked a lot of questions about the war,” Will said hesitantly. “It brought back some stuff I’d rather forget.”

“At least your godly parent didn’t back the wrong side,” Lou Ellen scowled. “No one looks at you like you’re a ticking time bomb.”

“No one looks at you like that anymore.”

“They did in the beginning,” she sighed. “I was just glad to have you and Cecil. Neither of you treated me like someone who might betray the camp.”

Will felt the guilt creep up. “I tried not to let it show,” he admitted. “But I definitely walked on eggshells around you.”

“But you didn’t say anything to me or give me weird looks,” Lou Ellen shrugged. “I mean, I guess I understood it, and I wasn’t expecting perfection, but you and Cecil were a lot better to me than anyone else. So, yeah, I don’t really care about how you were in the beginning. You talked to me. You were my friend. That meant a lot.”

“During the war,” Will began quietly, “a lot of demigods went over to Kronos. Luke… Luke brought over a few when he left Camp. Some of them tried to recruit campers in the mortal world. One of them tried to get me.”

Lou Ellen’s face hardened. “One of my siblings.”

“Alabaster Torrington,” Will admitted. “You… you look a lot alike.”

“I’m sorry, Will,” Lou Ellen whispered. “I… I swear I had no idea. I would have stayed away if I knew you were uncomfortable.”

“No,” Will shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I like you. You’re nothing like him. But it was just talking about the war with Leo… honestly, I’d forgotten about it. All I see is Lou Ellen when I see you.”

Lou Ellen was quiet. She took a deep breath. “Okay. Anything else? That can’t be the only thing bothering you.”

“The flying chariot Annabeth crashed,” Will said. “There was a raid. Chiron sent the Ares kids and us. My brother Michael recovered the chariot. He and Clarisse got into an argument over who had the best claim. Apollo since we recovered it, or Ares since they lead the raid. We argued a lot about that.” He glanced back at the forges. “Beckendorf and Percy went on a mission, but only Percy came back. Beckendorf’s girlfriend Silena was dealing with her loss, but we were still arguing. Clarisse backed her whole cabin out of the war because we wouldn’t give her the chariot. The only reason we even have the chariot now is because Clarisse was… well, she was  _ beyond _ mad that Silena pretended to be Clarisse and got herself killed. Clarisse said if she hadn’t been arguing over the stupid chariot, Silena would still be here.” He shrugged. “Leo got Beckendorf’s old bed. It just… I feel guilty about fighting over something so stupid like Clarisse said. Bad memories.”

“You can’t change it now,” Lou Ellen told him. “It happened and it sucks, but you have to keep moving forward.” She frowned. “Did you talk to anyone after the war? A… a therapist or anyone?”

“If I went and told a mortal therapist that I spent my summer healing injured demigods and fighting an immortal Titan who was inhabiting the body of a former camper at the camp for demigods I go to, they would chuck me straight into a padded room,” Will said dryly.

“Fair enough,” Lou Ellen giggled. “But we’d bust you out.”

“And start a manhunt for me,” Will snorted. “I think we got enough of that with Percy Jackson, thanks.”

“You should talk to Chiron then,” Lou Ellen suggested. “I won’t pretend to know what you guys went through, but you went through a war and it’s just facts that some veterans of war have varying degrees of PTSD. Talking is good. It helps.” She gave Will a wry smile. “I have an uncle who was in the army. He told me stuff.”

“Yeah,” Will said absently. “Maybe I will talk to someone. I only ever told one person about… Alabaster. My sister Alice. She… she’s gone.”

“Sorry,” Lou Ellen said quietly. “Well, you know, if you need someone to talk to, I’ll listen. What are friends for?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the Son of Magic, we got to see the perspective of a demigod who's parent backed Kronos and the fallout after that in Alabaster Torrington's story. Obviously, we know he doesn't exactly regret backing Kronos and resents Percy and the gods, but there's the other side too with all the kids who didn't come to camp or know they were a demigod until after the war like Lou Ellen. By the time the Heroes of Olympus series rolls around I think it's been long enough for most demigods at camp to see her as her own person and to trust her, but in the beginning there was probably a lot of mistrust. I thought it was important to touch on that.


	35. Goddess of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from the Lost Hero

Will was kind of irritated that no one had told him about Piper’s incident in Hera’s cabin. He was also irritated that Annabeth had even let Piper wander into the Queen of the Sky’s cabin. Not to mention Rachel had just been chilling in said cabin. Couldn’t she have waited outside or something? They didn’t need to go around making the gods mad. Especially not now.

“Sorry,” Rachel muttered to Will at dinner. “Look, I’m going to go make sure she’s okay, and if she’s awake, I’ll bring her to the campfire. Do you trust me to do that without killing anyone?”

Will looked down guiltily. “I didn’t mean that, Rachel. I just… I’m worried about everyone. Can’t help it. And it’s only her first day.”

“I get it,” Rachel sighed. “I just had this feeling. But it wasn’t… it wasn’t Apollo. I think it was Hera.  _ She _ wanted me to be there for some reason.” She bit her lip. “And I think maybe it’s already in motion. That’s what worries me.” She got up.

“What’s in motion?” Will asked Rachel’s retreating form. No answer. He rolled his eyes. “Guess I’ll have to ask you at the campfire.”

As it turned out, Rachel did bring Piper to the campfire. They showed up near the end, so Rachel took Piper to a seat near Will who was sitting next to his siblings and pretending to be participating in the sing-along though he wasn’t sure why he still bothered pretending anymore.

The flames turned from red to orange to gold. It was a good mood then. There hadn’t been too many of those since Percy disappeared and of course, the whole dragon fiasco was still going on.

Finally the sing-along ended with a lot of rowdy applause. Chiron trotted up. He brandished a spear impaled with toasted marshmallows.

“Very nice! And a special welcome to our new arrivals. I am Chiron, camp activities director, and I'm happy you have all arrived here alive and with most of your limbs attached. In a moment, I promise we'll get to the s'mores, but first—”

“What about capture the flag?” somebody yelled. Grumbling broke out among the Ares kids.

“Yes,” Chiron said. “I know the Ares cabin is anxious to return to the woods for our regular games.”

“And kill people!” one of them shouted.

“However,” Chiron said, “until the dragon is brought under control, that won't be possible. Cabin Nine, anything to report on that?” He turned to the Hephaestus kids.

“We're working on it,” Nyssa said. She shifted uncomfortably. Since Jake’s accident, Nyssa had taken over most of the leadership responsibilities. From what Will had observed so far, she didn’t like it.

“How, Nyssa?” Sherman Yang demanded.

“Really hard,” Nyssa said.

Nyssa sat down to a lot of yelling and complaining, which caused the fire to sputter chaotically. Chiron stamped his hoof against the fire pit stones—bang, bang, bang—and the campers fell silent.

“We will have to be patient,” Chiron said. “In the meantime, we have more pressing matters to discuss.”

“Percy?” someone asked.

The fire dimmed even further.

Chiron gestured to Annabeth. She took a deep breath and stood.

“I didn't find Percy,” she announced. Her voice caught a little when she said his name. “He wasn't at the Grand Canyon like I thought. But we're not giving up. We've got teams everywhere. Grover, Tyson, Nico, the Hunters of Artemis —everyone's out looking. We will find him. Chiron‘s talking about something different. A new quest.”

“It's the Great Prophecy, isn't it?” Drew called out.

Will blinked. Drew usually didn’t do much at campfire other than flirt with her newest boy obsession. So far Will had been spared, thank the gods.

“Drew?” Annabeth said. “What do you mean?”

“Well, come on.” Drew spread her hands like the truth was obvious. “Olympus is closed. Percy‘s disappeared. Hera sends you a vision and you come back with three new demigods in one day. I mean, something weird is going on. The Great Prophecy has started, right?”

Will saw Piper whisper something to Rachel when he turned to look at the Oracle.

“Well?” Drew called. “You’re the oracle. Has it started or not?”

Rachel looked irritated to have been called on by Drew, but she stepped forward calmly and addressed the camp. “Yes,” she said. “The Great Prophecy has begun.”

Pandemonium broke out.

Will sighed. “We just  _ finished _ a Great Prophecy,” he mumbled. “Can’t we catch a break?”

“For those of you who have not heard it,” Rachel said, “the Great Prophecy was my first prediction. It arrived in August. It goes like this:  _ Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. / To storm or fire the world must fall _ —”

Jason shot to his feet. His eyes looked wild, like he'd just been tasered.

“J-Jason?” Rachel asked, looking confused. “What’s-?”

“ _ Ut cum spiritu postrema sacramentum dejuremus _ ,” he chanted. “ _ Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam necem _ .”

An uneasy silence settled on the group. Will knew what the lines said, but he didn’t know what language Jason had spoken.

“You just… finished the prophecy,” Rachel stammered. “ _ An oath to keep with a final breath / And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. _ How did you-?”

“I know those lines,” Jason said, wincing and rubbing his temples. “I don’t know how, but I know that prophecy.”

“In Latin, no less,” Drew called out. “Handsome and smart.”

_ How did I not know that, but Drew did? _ Will shouted at himself. He stared at the fire. It had turned a nervous shade of green. Tensions were high.

“Well,” Rachel said, trying to regain her composure. “So, yeah, that's the Great Prophecy. We hoped it might not happen for years-” Will snorted. As if the gods would let them catch a break from all the bad stuff, “-but I fear it‘s starting now. I can't give you proof. It's just a feeling. And like Drew said, some weird stuff is happening. The seven demigods, whoever they are, have not been gathered yet. I get the feeling some are here tonight. Some are not here.”

Will glanced around. It was pretty obvious that Jason and Percy would be part of the Seven since they both seemed to have mysterious circumstances surrounding their arrival and departure respectively. Annabeth too since she probably wouldn’t let Percy out of her sight ever again after this. Maybe Piper and Leo. They had arrived with Jason, but they could have just been in the right place at the right time. The last two slots… well, Rachel said some weren’t here.

“Anyway,” Rachel continued, “we don't know what the Great Prophecy means. We don't know what challenge the demigods will face, but since the first Great Prophecy predicted the Titan War, we can guess the second Great Prophecy will predict something at least that bad.”

“Or worse,” Chiron murmured. The campfire immediately turned dark purple.

“What we do know,” Rachel said, “is that the first phase has begun. A major problem has arisen, and we need a quest to solve it. Hera, the queen of the gods, has been taken.”

Will’s jaw dropped. Hera was kidnapped? Dimly, he registered Rachel speaking about the trios rescue earlier, but his mind wandered back to Hera being kidnapped.

Gods and goddesses could get kidnapped, he knew that. Hades had kidnapped Persephone, Ares had been kidnapped by giants, and only a few years ago Artemis had been kidnapped by Atlas. But Hera was one goddess who Will would have thought to be untouchable. Who would dare kidnap Zeus’ wife? Who would dare kidnap one of the six oldest children of Kronos?

“Jason,” Rachel said, bringing Will out of his thoughts. “Um… do you remember your last name?” Jason shook his head. “We'll just call you Jason, then,” Rachel said. “It's clear Hera herself has issued you a quest.” She paused.

Jason nodded. “I agree.”

“You must save Hera to prevent a great evil,” Rachel continued. “Some sort of king from rising. For reasons we don't yet understand, it must happen by the winter solstice, only four days from now.”

Ouch. That was a time crunch.

“That's the council day of the gods,” Annabeth said. “If the gods don't already know Hera's gone, they will definitely notice her absence by then. They'll probably break out fighting, accusing each other of taking her. That's what they usually do.”

“The winter solstice,” Chiron spoke up, “is also the time of greatest darkness. The gods gather that day, as mortals always have, because there is strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic, older than the gods. It is a day when things… stir.”

Will didn’t like the sound of that.

“Okay,” Annabeth said, glaring at the centaur. “Thank you, Captain Sunshine. Whatever's going on, I agree with Rachel. Jason has been chosen to lead this quest, so—”

“Why hasn't he been claimed?” Ellis yelled. “If he's so important—”

“He has been claimed,” Chiron announced. “Long ago. Jason, give them a demonstration.”

Jason had already been claimed? That didn’t make sense. He would have had to have arrived at Camp as a young child and then left at least nine years ago since Annabeth didn’t remember him. How old would that make Jason? Five or six when he left? No way could any half-blood have survived like that.

Jason pulled something out of his pocket and flipped it into the air. A coin which spun until it landed in Jason’s hand as a lance.

“Wasn't that…” Annabeth hesitated. “I thought you had a sword.”

“Um, it came up tails, I think,” Jason said. “Same coin, long-range weapon form.”

“Dude, I want one!” yelled somebody from Ares cabin.

“Better than Clarisse‘s electric spear, Lamer!” one of his brothers agreed.

Jason looked like an idea had struck him. Rachel and Annabeth backed off quick as he raised the javelin. Thunder broke open the sky. Every hair on Will’s arms stood straight up. Lightning arced down through the golden spear point and hit the campfire with the force of an artillery shell.

When the smoke cleared, the entire camp sat frozen in shock, half blind, covered in ashes, staring at the place where the fire had been. Cinders rained down everywhere. A burning log had impaled itself a few inches from Clovis, who hadn't even stirred.

Jason lowered his lance. “Um… sorry.”

Chiron brushed some burning coals out of his beard. He grimaced. “A little overkill, perhaps, but you've made your point. And I believe we know who your father is.”

“Jupiter,” Jason said. “I mean Zeus. Lord of the Sky.”

“No way,” Austin whispered. “We would have known if there was another one.”

“He already broke the oath with Thalia,” Kayla agreed. “I don’t know if Zeus would have risked another kid so soon after. This is kinda…”

“Strange?” Will supplied.

Kayla nodded. “A kid of the Big Three appears days after Percy disappears? You can’t tell me that’s not strange.”

“It is,” Will agreed.

“Hold it!” Annabeth said. “How can he be the son of Zeus? The Big Three… their pact not to have mortal kids… how could we not have known about him sooner?”

Chiron didn't answer.

“The important thing,” Rachel said, “is that Jason‘s here now. He has a quest to fulfill, which means he will need his own prophecy.” She closed her eyes and swooned.

Kayla and Austin rushed forward and caught her. Lydia ran to the side of the amphitheater and grabbed a bronze three-legged stool. They eased Rachel onto the stool in front of the ruined hearth. Without the fire, the night was dark, but green mist started swirling around Rachel's feet. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing. Emerald smoke issued from her mouth. The voice that came out was raspy and ancient—the sound a snake would make if it could talk.

Will shuddered. He didn’t like the oracle’s voice.

“ _ Child of lightning, beware the earth / The giants’ revenge the Seven shall birth / The forge and dove shall break the cage / And death unleashed through Hera’s rage _ .”

On the last word, Rachel collapsed, but Kayla and Austin were waiting to catch her. They carried her away from the hearth and laid her in the corner to rest.

“Is that normal?” Piper asked. “I mean... does she spew green smoke a lot?”

“Gods, you're dense!” Drew sneered. “She just issued a prophecy—Jason's prophecy to save Hera! Why don't you just—”

“Drew,” Annabeth snapped. “Piper asked a fair question. Something about that prophecy definitely isn't normal. If breaking Hera's cage unleashes her rage and causes a bunch of death… why would we free her? It might be a trap, or—or maybe Hera will turn on her rescuers. She's never been kind to heroes.” She didn’t bother to hide her disdain for the goddess.

Jason rose. “I don't have much choice. Hera took my memory. I need it back. Besides, we can't just not help the queen of the heavens if she's in trouble.”

Nyssa stood up. “Maybe. But you should listen to Annabeth. Hera can be vengeful. She threw her own son—our dad—down a mountain just because he was ugly.”

“Real ugly,” snickered someone from Aphrodite.

“Shut up!” Nyssa growled. “Anyway, we've also got to think —why beware the earth? And what‘s the giants' revenge? What are we dealing with here that's powerful enough to kidnap the queen of the heavens?”

Privately, Will thought Chiron and probably Annabeth had an idea, but neither volunteered any information.

Annabeth took a deep breath. “It's Jason's quest,” she announced, “so it's Jason's choice. Obviously, he's the child of lightning. According to tradition, he may choose any two companions.”

Travis yelled, “Well, you, obviously, Annabeth. You've got the most experience.”

“No, Travis,” Annabeth said. “First off, I'm not helping Hera. Every time I've tried, she's deceived me, or it's come back to bite me later. Forget it. No way. Secondly, I'm leaving first thing in the morning to find Percy.”

“It's connected,” Piper blurted out. “You know that's true, don't you? This whole business, your boyfriend's disappearance—it's all connected.”

“How?” demanded Drew. “If you're so smart, how?”

Annabeth answered for her. “You may be right, Piper. If this is connected, I'll find out from the other end—by searching for Percy. As I said, I'm not about to rush off to rescue Hera, even if her disappearance sets the rest of the Olympians fighting again. But there's another reason I can't go. The prophecy says otherwise.”

“It says who I pick,” Jason agreed. “The forge and dove shall break the cage. The forge is the symbol of Vul—Hephaestus.”

“If you have to beware the earth,” Nyssa said, looking glum, “you should avoid traveling overland. You’ll need air transport. The flying chariot's broken,” she continued, “and the pegasi, we‘re using them to search for Percy. But maybe Hephaestus cabin can help figure out something else to help. With Jake incapacitated, I'm senior camper. I can volunteer for the quest.” She didn't sound enthusiastic.

Then Leo stood up. “It's me,” he said. “No, it's me. I know it is. I've got an idea for the transportation problem. Let me try. I can fix this!”

Jason smiled. “We started this together, Leo. Seems only right you come along. You find us a ride, you’re in.”

“Yes!” Leo pumped his fist.

“It'll be dangerous,” Nyssa warned him. “Hardship, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive.”

“Oh,” Leo said, looking deflated. Then he quickly shrugged it off. “I mean… Oh cool! Suffering? I love suffering! Let’s do this.”

Will grinned. He liked Leo. He knew how to lighten the mood.

Annabeth nodded. “Then, Jason, you only need to choose the third quest member. The dove—”

“Oh, absolutely!” Drew was on her feet and flashing Jason a smile. “The dove is Aphrodite. Everybody knows that. I am totally yours.”

“No,” Piper said, glaring at Drew.

Drew rolled her eyes. “Oh, please, Dumpster girl. Back off.”

“I had the vision of Hera; not you. I have to do this.”

“Anyone can have a vision,” Drew said. “You were just at the right place at the right time.”

_ No _ , Will silently corrected her.  _ Visions mean something when it comes to demigods.  _ If Piper had the vision, it was likely that she would have more. She would have to go on the quest to be helpful. Especially if it only lasted four days.

Drew looked at Jason. “Look, fighting is all fine, I suppose. And people who build things…” She looked at Leo in disdain. “Well, I suppose someone has to get their hands dirty. But you need charm on your side. I can be very persuasive. I could help a lot.”

Will’s head got fuzzy. He was nodding along to something, but he wasn’t sure what exactly. He finally cleared his head when a light glow surrounded Piper. Suddenly, she was clothed in what was probably the most current fashion.

“Oh, god,” Piper said looking horrified. “What's happened?” She pulled out her newly acquired dagger and glanced at her reflection.

“Beautiful,” Jason exclaimed. “Piper, you… you're a knockout.”

“No!” Drew cried. “Not possible!”

“This isn't me,” Piper protested. “I—don't understand.”

Chiron folded his front legs and bowed to her, and all the campers followed his example.

“Hail, Piper McLean,” Chiron announced gravely. “Daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seem to recall when I first told y'all about this story that it wouldn't be anywhere near as long as When They Came. I dunno what I was thinking. Like one chapter per book? Who knows. At any rate, I've finished writing up till the end of Blood of Olympus and I'm working on the "three days" part now. A few chapters ago I said this would be around 50 chapters total. Now I'm thinking no more than 60, but definitely more than 50.
> 
> Anyway, that's all I wanted to say! Have a great day!


	36. Not a Quest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from the Lost Hero

Could Will honestly say he was surprised that Zeus had another kid after breaking the oath the one time with Thalia? No. Quite frankly, he was kinda surprised there wasn’t  _ more _ of Zeus’ illegal kids running around.

It was strange though. After Jason had been claimed, or after his light show, whatever that was, he seemed different. He wasn’t Jason the kid with no memory, but he was Jason the son of Zeus. Everyone was in awe of Jason and fear of Zeus.

The same thing had happened with Percy and Thalia. Maybe Thalia more so because of the whole thing where she used to be a tree, but still. No one had known what to make of the two children of the Big Three. Then with Nico, well, Will suspected that the campers, some of them anyway, were more afraid of Nico than Percy or Thalia.

“Son of Zeus,” Austin mumbled when they got back to the cabin, shaking his head.

“The next Great Prophecy really is starting,” Kayla said. “Jason’s got to be part of this. I bet Leo and Piper too. That line  _ The giants’ revenge the Seven shall birth _ . Who are the other four I wonder.”

“Percy and Annabeth,” Will shrugged. “I mean, with Percy missing and Jason appearing. Plus Annabeth is never going to leave Percy alone again after this. I wouldn’t either if I was her.”

Kayla nodded slowly. “I really hope he comes back soon.”

“Me too.”

.

The next morning was chaos. Utter and complete chaos.

First, it had started with Will being jostled from sleep to the sound of screams from the early risers. Then it was the conch horns blasting his eardrums. Followed by the screams of “Don’t kill me!” Whatever that was about. Finally, he managed to blindly grab his bow and quiver (which spilled half the arrows in it out onto the floor which he promptly tripped over) and stumbled outside.

“LEO?” someone yelled.

Will ignored the yell and focused on the giant bronze death machine dragon hovering above the camp. His eyes widened as he lined up with his siblings, arrows pointed at the dragon. They wouldn’t do much good piercing the metal, but it would maybe stop the dragon from hurting anyone.

“Don’t kill me!” someone shouted from the dragon.

“You’ve got to be joking,” Will muttered. “I  _ told _ him not to go near this thing.”

Leo Valdez was sitting on top of the dragon and grinning like a lunatic. He set the dragon down in the middle of the cabins.

“It’s cool! Don’t shoot!” he said, holding up his hands.

Will sighed, but he gestured to his siblings to lower their bows. Hesitantly, they lowered their bows.

Everyone made a loose wide ring around the metal monster. Other demigods hid behind their cabin doors or peeped out the windows. Nobody seemed anxious to get close.

Piper McLean remained the closest. She stared at the dragon in awe. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured.

“They’re all insane,” Will muttered. “All these quest taking demigods are officially insane.”

The dragon reared its head and shot a column of fire into the sky. Everyone scrambled away and hefted their weapons.

Leo slid calmly off the dragon‘s back. He held up his hands like he was surrendering, except he still had that crazy grin on his face. “People of Earth, I come in peace!” he shouted.

He looked like he‘d been rolling around in the campfire. His army coat and his face were smeared with soot. His hands were grease-stained, and he wore a new tool belt around his waist. His eyes were bloodshot. His curly hair was so oily it stuck up in porcupine quills, and he smelled strangely of Tabasco sauce. But he looked absolutely delighted.

“Festus is just saying hello!” Leo explained.

“That thing is dangerous!” Clarisse shouted, brandishing her spear. “Kill it now!”

“Stand down!” Jason shouted, pushing through the crowd. Annabeth and Nyssa followed behind him.

Jason gazed up at the dragon and shook his head in amazement. “Leo, what have you done?”

“Found a ride!” Leo beamed. “You said I could go on the quest if I got you a ride. Well, I got you a class-A metallic flying bad boy! Festus can take us anywhere!”

“It—has wings,” Nyssa stammered. Her jaw looked like it might drop off her face.

“Yeah!” Leo said. “I found them and reattached them.”

“But it never had wings. Where did you find them?”

“In… the woods,” he said. “Repaired his circuits, too, mostly, so no more problems with him going haywire.”

“Mostly?” Nyssa asked.

The dragon's head twitched. It tilted to one side and a stream of black liquid—maybe oil, hopefully just oil—poured out of its ear, all over Leo.

“Just a few kinks to work out,” Leo said.

“But how did you survive...?” Nyssa was still staring at the creature in awe. “I mean, the fire breath…”

“I‘m quick,” Leo said. “And lucky. Now, am I on this quest, or what?”

Jason scratched his head. “You named him Festus? You know that in Latin, 'festus' means 'happy‘? You want us to ride off to save the world on Happy the Dragon?”

The dragon twitched and shuddered and flapped his wings.

“That's a yes, bro!” Leo said. “Now, um, I'd really suggest we get going, guys. I already picked up some supplies in the—um, in the woods. And all these people with weapons are making Festus nervous.”

Jason frowned. “But we haven't planned anything yet. We can't just—”

“Go,” Annabeth said. She was the only one who didn't look nervous at all. “Jason, you've only got three days until the solstice now, and you should never keep a nervous dragon waiting. This is certainly a good omen. Go!”

Jason nodded. Then he smiled at Piper. “You ready, partner?”

“You bet,” she said.

Leo helped Jason harness himself into the back seat of the dragon and then Piper in front of Jason. Leo climbed into the front seat and with a cheerful wave, he steered the dragon into the sky with ease.

.

They held a counselor meeting right after that.

“There’s three days until the solstice,” Annabeth sighed.

Miranda winced. “Three days to find Hera and free her. Do they even have a plan?”

Annabeth grimaced. “Sort of. They’re going to Quebec to see Boreas to find out what’s going on with the storm spirits. Jason had a vision of where Hera was being held, but he doesn’t remember where the place is.” She looked at Chiron. “He also said something about a she-wolf. I’ve read all the myths, but I don’t know who he’s talking about.”

Chiron closed his eyes. “I have many ideas. None are good. If this is who I think it is, Hera is playing a dangerous game.”

“What about the giants’ revenge?” Connor asked. “That didn’t sound good.”

Annabeth looked thoughtful. “I don’t know. The giants, well, they came after the Titans. Percy and I have encountered a few of them. But the giants’ revenge…” She shared a look with Chiron.

“You’ve faced them before then,” Lou Ellen said, raising an eyebrow. “So that’s good, right? You know how to defeat them.”

“Maybe,” Annabeth said. She didn’t meet anyone’s eyes. “Either way, I’m going to go out searching for Percy. I want to check something else too.” She looked around the room. “I was hoping some of you would go with me.”

Rachel looked up. “Annabeth. There’s no quest for Percy. That much I do know. We already have people out looking. The Hunters are looking, Tyson and Grover and Mrs. O’Leary are looking.  _ Nico _ is looking. No one is going to object to you leaving to look for Percy because you definitely have the right to look for him, but I am the Oracle, and I can tell you that there is no quest here.”

“Relax, it’s not a quest,” Annabeth waved her off. “I don’t know what kind of state Percy will be in if… if I find him. Will, I was hoping you would come. You’re our best healer.”

“Me?” Will gapped. “Look, Annabeth, I don’t know how much use I’d be out there.”

“You’ll be a lot more helpful than I would be if Percy’s severely injured and we’re surrounded by monsters,” Annabeth said flatly. “I’ll handle the monsters, you handle the injuries. Will, my medical knowledge goes as far as eating ambrosia and how to set broken bones.”

“It’s a good idea,” Butch agreed. “For all we know, Percy is wandering around with no memory like Jason. Having Will there just in case would be helpful.”

Will bit his lip. “Okay. Yeah, I’ll go with you, Annabeth.”

“Great,” Annabeth said in relief. “We won’t be gone long. I want to be back when Jason, Piper, and Leo return.”

“They’re the first three of the seven in the prophecy aren’t they?” Pollux asked.

“Hera put Jason on that field trip with Piper and Leo for a reason,” Annabeth said. “That much I know for sure. I think their quest is only the beginning of what’s to come.”

“Hopefully they’ll meet those other four on this quest,” Clarisse snorted. “Get this new prophecy done and over with.”

Rachel gave her a disapproving look. “You know that’s not how prophecies work. You can’t just get it ‘done and over with’,” she quoted.

“I don’t like the prophecy,” Lou Ellen frowned. “The lines are… well, they’re worrying to say the least. The world falling to storm or fire,  _ oath to keep with a final breath _ , and these Doors of Death.”

“Non mi piace il suono di quello,” Chiara shuddered. “Must all prophecies involve death?”

“Dark forces are waking,” Chiron said gravely. “I do fear death will be unavoidable.”

Annabeth furrowed her brow. “A few years ago when Percy, Thalia, and I encountered a manticore. He said something about the Great Stirring.”

Chiron nodded. “This may very well be the result of the Great Stirring.”

“The Great what?” Connor asked.

“Great Stirring,” Will corrected.

“The awakening of ancient monsters,” Miranda added. “Like Typhon and Kampê.”

“Oh,” Travis grumbled. “Well, great. That’s just what we need. Another Typhon.”

“It won’t be another Typhon,” Annabeth snapped. She looked at Will. “Get something to eat. I want to leave as soon as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
> Non mi piace il suono di quello --> I don’t like the sound of that
> 
> Apparently I'm on a bit of a Riordanverse fic writing high. I'm revolving between writing Always Towards the Sun and two or three other fics. Gods of Olympus help me please.
> 
> Anyway, here's today's chapter. Hope you enjoyed.


	37. The Search for Percy Jackson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happened with Annabeth leaving Camp to look for Percy? Hmmm...

“Can you drive?” Will asked uncertainly.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “I’m sixteen, Will. I got my driver’s license months ago.”

“I mean, you’re tired and exhausted,” Will said pointedly. “I can see that. Pretty much everyone else can see that.”

Annabeth was silent. Then she said, “Pegasi then. Will, it’s just… I have to find him. Percy never gave up on me when I was… missing. I can’t give up on him.”

“The quest to save Artemis,” Will remembered. “Percy wasn’t supposed to go, but he snuck out anyway. What… what happened to you?”

They walked to the pegasi stables.

“Grover called us saying he had found two half-bloods,” Annabeth explained. “Percy, Thalia, and I were supposed to go help him get them to Camp, but things went wrong. There was a manticore and we couldn’t fight him off. I was on his back when the Hunters came and shot him off a cliff. Whatever magic he did took us to Mount Tam, well Mount Othrys. Luke tricked me into taking the sky from him, then Artemis showed up and she took the sky from me.” She looked away. “It doesn’t matter. Percy came for me even though he didn’t have to.”

They reached the stables, and Annabeth called for two pegasi.

“We don’t have time to waste,” Annabeth said. “I want to be back by the solstice so I can hear if Jason, Piper, or Leo find out anything useful.”

Will climbed into the back of one of the pegasi as Annabeth climbed onto the other. Together, they shot off into the sky.

“We’re in Central Park, why?” Will asked when the pegasi he and Annabeth were riding touched down.

Annabeth slid off her pegasus. “Because we have an… appointment. He’ll meet us here.”

“Suddenly I feel like I’ve been kidnapped,” Will muttered. “What are we doing here?”

Annabeth looked guilty. “I said I had something to check as well. I didn’t think you’d mind, but I’m hoping he’ll have some more information. I’d have IM’ed him, but the reception is horribly spotty.”

“Who?” Will asked.

“Annabeth,” someone called.

Will turned to see Nico di Angelo step out from behind a tree. He yawned and shook his head.

“Nico?” Will said with raised eyebrows.

Nico glanced at him. “Hi,” he said, then he turned back to face Annabeth. “I haven’t heard anything about Percy yet. I’m sorry.”

Annabeth sighed disappointedly. “That’s okay, Nico. I was actually hoping to ask you about the Doors of Death. Do you have any information on that? I’ve never heard of them before, and neither has anyone else.”

Nico hesitated. “The Doors of Death are Thanatos’ personal gateway in and out of the Underworld. He’s the only one who knows where they are at any time. Sometimes, monsters slip out after they reform.” He looked around like someone might be watching. “Something is wrong with them though. I’ve run into a few monsters that don’t die. They just keep reforming. Mostly just the more powerful ones, but I can’t say much about it. I’ve already said more than I should.”

“ _ Foes bear arms to the Doors of Death _ ,” Will said. “The Seven of the prophecy must have to fix the problem. Not sure where the foes part comes in though.”

It could have been his imagination, but Nico seemed to wince.

“Will you go back to Camp?” Annabeth asked.

Nico flinched slightly. “No. Not… not yet. There’s a lot to do for my father and Percy’s missing. I can’t go back right now.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I wish I could be more helpful, Annabeth, but I can’t. Good luck finding Percy.” He stepped back into the tree’s shadow and disappeared.

Annabeth growled angrily. “I wish he’d… ugh. I don’t know. He’s acting strange.”

“Plenty of people would say he always acts strange,” Will pointed out.

“Not you?”

“No way,” Will shook his head. “I, uh, I told my friends, Cecil and Lou Ellen, I mean, I told them that the next time I saw Nico I would make him come back to Camp. He left kinda abruptly. I don’t really know why.”

Annabeth sighed. “The past two years have been tough on Nico. He hasn’t been around a lot of people in a long time. Give him time to adjust.”

“His sister died on that quest to save Artemis,” Will said. “And you,” he added. “He left when you guys came back and told him.”

Annabeth looked surprised. “Not many people remember that.”

Will shrugged. “I pay attention. He left after the summer ended too,” he said. “I don’t know why.”

“Probably a number of reasons,” Annabeth said, frowning slightly. “I guess the only other people he knows are Percy, Thalia, and I, so since we were gone…” she shook her head. “He does odd jobs for his father sometimes. With all the business with the Doors of Death, maybe Hades has something to do with that.” She climbed back onto her pegasus. “One more stop in New York. I told Percy’s mom I’d keep her updated on the search.” She smiled. “You’ll like her.”

Off they flew into the sky again. It was only a few minutes before they touched down in front of some apartments.

Annabeth went up to the buzzer. “Hi, Sally. It’s Annabeth.”

The door swung open and Will followed Annabeth up to the apartment.

They were greeted by a man with salt and pepper hair. He smiled wearily.

“Hi, Paul,” Annabeth greeted. She gestured to Will. “This is Will Solace. He’s from camp. Will, this is Paul Blofis. He’s Percy’s step-dad.”

“Hi,” Will said awkwardly.

Paul tilted his head. “Hi. If you don’t mind me asking, which god is your parent?”

“Oh,” Will blinked. “Apollo.”

“Will’s our best healer,” Annabeth explained.

“Annabeth? Is that you?” a woman called.

Paul gestured for them to come inside.

Annabeth immediately went to hug a woman in the kitchen. “Hi, Sally.” She looked at Will. “This is Sally, Percy’s mom. Probably the best mortal parent ever. Sally, this is Will Solace, son of Apollo.”

“Nice to meet you,” Will offered.

Sally gave him a warm smile. “You too, Will. I assume this is about… Percy?”

Annabeth nodded. “Will and I are going out looking for a few days. I just wanted to let you know how it’s going.”

“He wasn’t at the Grand Canyon then?” Sally said disappointedly. “I thought Hera told you-”

“Hera’s been captured,” Annabeth scowled. “Those demigods are supposed to free her. Whatever. Anyway, I talked to Nico. No news from the dead which is good news I guess.” She sighed. “I thought about talking to some water spirits. Maybe he’s somewhere underwater. At the very least, he might have traveled by water.” She looked at Will. “Ready to go?”

“Yep.”

Annabeth and Will thanked Sally and Paul for letting them in and said goodbye. Then they left the apartment to find the two pegasi being petted by a few children.

“Doggie!” one of them squealed.

Will blinked. “I will never understand the Mist.”

“Sorry, kids,” Annabeth said. “We have to take our dogs now.”

“Aww,” the kids complained, but they ran off down the street.

Annabeth glanced back at Will. “You’re friends with Lou Ellen, right?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make it any easier to understand the Mist,” Will said. “She tried explaining it to me once. Something about making mortals see what they want to see or what makes sense? If you ask me, a bunch of teenagers running after giant dogs and waving baseball bats doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but I guess it’s easier to justify than a bunch of teenagers running after Greek monsters and waving around swords.”

“True,” Annabeth nodded. “I’ve seen the Mist make mortals think swords were guns before. It was actually on Percy’s first quest. He and Ares were fighting and the mortal police showed up. At least it got the manhunt on Percy called off. The story went that Ares kidnapped Percy and his mom, so that whole fighting scene was Percy wrestling a gun from Ares to stop Ares from shooting Grover, me, or Percy.” She smiled fondly. “We got to present our sob story on television. My dad asked me about that when I went home that fall.” She shook her head. “We should get going. Percy helped clean some of the pollution in the East and Hudson rivers during the Battle of Manhattan. I’m hoping the spirits still remember that.”

When they got to the riverside where the East and the Hudson met, Will peered into the water.

“It’s horrible isn’t it?” Annabeth said. “All the pollution.”

Will nodded. “Percy helped clean some of it?”

“In return for help sinking the boats full of monsters,” Annabeth explained. “That probably saved us. We wouldn’t have lasted very long if they hadn’t.”

“Now what?”

“I don’t know,” Annabeth admitted. “I hadn’t exactly thought this far.”

“That’s a new one,” a voice said behind them. “A child of Athena not thinking ahead.”

They turned around to see a man in ragged clothes. His skin had a greenish tinge to it like the color of algae.

“Who are you?” Will blurted before he could stop himself.

The man rolled his eyes. “I don’t expect  _ you _ to know me, child of Apollo, but you, daughter of Athena, you are friends with Percy Jackson are you not? Did he not tell you who I am?”

“You must be the Hudson river spirit,” Annabeth guessed. “I… I was hoping you might know where Percy is. He’s been missing for five days.”

The Hudson river spirit’s face hardened. “You won’t find him here.”

“Please,” Annabeth begged. “Olympus is closed and you are the only one I can think of to ask for information. Percy helped you clean your waters. Please, help me find him.”

“And I repaid that by sinking those ships of monsters,” the spirit snapped. “As you yourself said, that act saved you in the war. Debt repaid in more than full.”

“You do know something though,” Will said carefully. “I saw it in your face. Look, we aren’t asking you to go out and find Percy. We can do that ourselves. Just tell us what you know.”

“I cannot,” the Hudson river spirit said finally. “The Olympians have forbidden anyone from speaking of it, even themselves. Hera has made a dangerous gamble.”

“What gamble?” Annabeth pressed. “Does it have anything to do with the new camper with no memory?”

The strangest thing happened. The spirit’s form seemed to shift slightly for a second.

“Stop,” the spirit said. “I’ve said too much already. Return to your camp, demigods. If Hera’s gamble succeeds, you will get your answers there.” The spirit dove into the river and disappeared.

Annabeth glared. “Fine. Just fine.”

“We’re going back to Camp?” Will asked hesitantly.

“No,” Annabeth said angrily. “I told him he was the only one I could think of. Well, that’s wrong. I know another spirit that should remember Percy. She likes him at any rate. Hopefully she’ll be more cooperative.”

“Who?” Will asked.

Annabeth climbed back onto her pegasus. “We are going to St. Louis. Percy met a Nereid in the Mississippi and then again in Santa Monica. Hopefully we won’t have to go that far, but if we do, we do.”

“Jason, Piper, and Leo will be back in three days,” Will reminded her. “You said you want to be back by then. It will take us at least a whole day to cross to California, probably more.”

“You’re right,” Annabeth nodded. “We go to Santa Monica. Percy said the Mississippi was too dirty for the Nereid to appear. That and it was hard to appear in freshwater.” She frowned. “It’s about a day and a half to get there and a day and a half to get back. If we leave now, we’ll probably make it back to Camp before Jason, Piper, and Leo do.”

“Fine,” Will relented. “Let’s go to California.”

.

It was unusually peaceful.

They stopped overnight in Lake Ozark, Missouri where Annabeth proceeded to ask the spirits of the Lake of the Ozarks if they knew where Percy was. No one gave an answer she wanted to hear.

But there had been no monster attacks which was something Will had been worried about. Annabeth said the monsters were probably more focused on the trio that were on an actual quest, but that didn’t really make Will feel better.

“How’d you know about this place?” Will asked Annabeth.

Annabeth got a distant look in her eyes. “Thalia. She told me about a safe house she had here. Poseidon never sent monsters after her. I don’t know. A lot of our safe houses were by water. I guess it just felt… safer.” Annabeth sighed.

“We will find him,” Will told her. “Promise.”

“I hope so,” Annabeth said.

.

With the pegasi rested, it was a much quicker trip to Santa Monica although they didn’t arrive until late afternoon.

Annabeth led Will down to the beach where he could see her smiling fondly.

“Good memories?”

“A few,” Annabeth said. She waded into the water. “Please, please, please.”

“ _ Go away _ !”

Will jumped. A girl appeared out of the water. She looked scared and angry.

Annabeth ignored the girl’s outburst. “You’re the nereid that helped Percy when we were twelve, aren’t you? Please, if you know  _ anything _ about his disappearance-”

“I cannot help you!” the girl shrieked. “You should not have come!”

“We spoke to another spirit,” Will said. “He said that the gods had forbidden anyone from speaking of it. That’s fine. Don’t say it, but at least give us a hint.”

The girl crossed her arms. “No. You already have the answers. You should have listened to the other spirit when he told you to return to Camp. You two.. You shouldn’t be here. Go. I will not help you.” She dissolved into water.

Annabeth growled in frustration.

“Hey,” Will said, trying to placate her. “Hera’s gamble, her plan, whatever, must have something to do with Jason. Him and Piper and Leo are going to be back at Camp tomorrow. If we want to find out these answers, they might be the ones who have them.”

Annabeth took a deep breath. “You’re right. I just… I just thought that if anyone would help, it would be the nereids and water spirits. We should get back to Camp.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was really fun to think about. I wasn't really sure what Annabeth had in mind by leaving to look for Percy, but then I thought that maybe she would ask around the water spirits because naturally, if Percy traveled anywhere it would be by land or water since he can't fly. So if he was in the water, any water spirit would know about it.


	38. Back from the Quest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from the Lost Hero

By the time they returned to Camp, it was almost dinner time on the 21st. As soon as they landed and put the pegasi back in the stables, Annabeth received an Iris Message from Thalia. Will left her alone to chat with her friend after saying a quick hello to the Lieutenant of Artemis.

“You’re back!” Lou Ellen said when she saw Will walking to the dining pavilion. She gave him a hug. “Glad you aren’t dead.”

Will laughed. “I thought Annabeth might strangle me at times, but I’m alive.” He made his way to the Apollo table. “Hey, guys.”

Kayla sighed in relief. “Thank the gods. I hate leading.”

“It was only a few days,” Will protested.

“What  _ did _ you do?” Austin asked.

Will shrugged. “Flew around asking water spirits if they’ve seen Percy. No luck. Nico hasn’t heard anything about Percy in the Underworld either which is good news I guess.”

“Nico?” Kayla grinned. “Nico di Angelo?”

“Yeah, Annabeth met up with him,” Will said, rolling his eyes. “Shut up, Kayla.”

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a bright light. When it cleared, they could see three figures standing on the Aphrodite table. Jason, Piper, and Leo.

Leo leapt off the table and ran to the nearest bronze brazier and threw up in it. Will winced, hoping the gods would smite Leo for the terrible offering.

“Jason?” Chiron trotted forward. He looked utterly confused. “What? How?”

Piper gave them all a casual smile. “Hi,” she said. “We’re back.”

There was a moment of silence, and then everyone was rushing the three and asking about the quest.

Did they save Hera? What did she need saving from? Did they see Percy Jackson? How many monsters did they each kill? Which monsters did they fight? Where did they go? Who are the others in the Seven?

Jason tried to answer each question, but a hundred other questions took the place of the one he answered. Will thought it was like a hydra.

“Enough!” Chiron finally shouted. The campers fell silent. “Jason, Piper, and Leo have just come back from their first quest. I’m sure they are exhausted. No more questions now. It's time for you to be getting to bed anyway.”

Will lead his siblings back to the Apollo cabin.

“I’m tired, and I don’t really care what you do as long as you don’t wake me up,” he said before flopping onto his bed and falling fast asleep.

.

_ “This is impossible,” Will grumbled. He tossed his bow to the side. _

_ “It’s not impossible,” Lee rolled his eyes. “I promise you that I wasn’t perfect when I first got here.” _

_ “I bet you were closer than I am.” _

_ “Well, maybe. But I’m better at archery than anything else.” _

_ Will raised an eyebrow. “You can sing and play most string instruments just as well as anyone else in our cabin.” _

_ “Stop. You’re making me blush,” Lee teased. _

_ Will stared at the target. “Hey, Lee?” _

_ “Yeah?” _

_ “How come you’re the head counselor if Alice is older than you?” _

_ Lee shrugged. “I’ve been here longer than her. I was eleven. She came that next year. I don’t really know. When Cherry, our last head counselor, left, I got voted head. I guess, it doesn’t matter how old you are, if the rest of our siblings think someone is fit to lead, then that’s who gets to lead.” He frowned. “I guess, if I ever leave to go to college, Michael would probably take over. Why? You planning to stage a coup?” _

_ Will grinned. “Maybe. No, I was just curious.” He was silent. “Is it hard? Leading us?” _

_ “When you guys don’t quiet down after lights out,” Lee snorted. “Or when you don’t clean up. I dunno, Will. It’s just something I’ve been doing for a while.” _

_ “I don’t think I’d be a very good leader,” Will admitted. _

_ “Sure you would,” Lee waved him off. “I mean, sing-alongs might be a little more interesting if you were leading them, but-” _

_ “Shut up,” Will groaned. “I swear I’m trying to get better.” _

_ Lee grinned. “I know.” _

.

Will sat up. He glanced around the cabin and exhaled shakily.

“Good, you’re up,” Austin said. “Thought we’d be late for breakfast.”

“You know I’d never let anyone miss a meal,” Will shot back.

As they were walking out of their cabin, a shout from across the cabin grounds cut through the quiet morning. The Aphrodite campers spilled out of their cabin, cheering and carrying Piper towards the dining pavilion.

“What sale did they hear about?” Kayla asked.

Will glanced at a sullen looking Drew who had not joined her siblings. “I think there might be a new counselor.”

“Holy Hera, Drew died?” Austin gasped.

Kayla hit his shoulder. “No, you idiot. Piper probably challenged Drew.”

Piper did in fact challenge Drew as they found out upon reaching the pavilion. It would be a welcome change, Will decided. Seeing Piper instead of Drew at counselor meetings.

After breakfast, Will headed down to the infirmary. Moments later, Jason stopped in.

“Hi, Jason,” Will greeted him.

Jason looked confused and worried. He jumped a bit when Will spoke. “Oh. Hey. Will, right?”

“Will Solace,” Will nodded. “What’s up?”

“I guess I came to see about getting some bruises healed,” Jason said, gesturing to his arms. “And some scars too.”

“Sure,” Will said. “You can just sit over here. I’ll be back in a sec.”

Jason sat on one of the beds as Will grabbed some nectar and bandages from a shelf.

“How’s your memory?” Will asked as he poured small amounts of nectar over the scars. “Did Hera return it?”

Jason frowned. “Sort of. It’s coming back to me slowly. I just hope…” he trailed off. “Well, I hope all memories come back soon.”

The way he phrased it was kind of strange, but Will didn’t have time to question it. He sang a quick hymn to his father and the scars on Jason started fading.

Jason’s eyes widened. “That’s cool. I wish I could heal injuries. That would probably be helpful.”

Will shrugged. “I guess. But you’ve got pretty cool powers. Flying and summoning lightning? Pretty cool.”

“Doesn’t do much good if you’re laying on the floor dying,” Jason said.

Will didn’t say anything to that. “Um, I can’t do much about the bruises, those’ll fade away. Try not to get beat up?”

“Try my hardest,” Jason promised. “I’ll see you later at the meeting.” He walked out of the infirmary, frowning to himself.

Only a few moments later, Nyssa wheeled Jake in.

“Leo’s hoping we can get this body cast off,” Nyssa explained.

Jake grinned at Will. “How’s it looking, doc?”

Will rolled his eyes. “I think it’s been long enough. Can you move your fingers and toes?”

Jake gave said appendages a wiggle. “Yep.”

Nyssa helped Will move Jake from the wheelchair to a bed. She stood nervously as Will carefully took off sections of the cast.

“You have to use crutches,” Will told Jake, “but you’re doing a lot better. You’ll probably feel pretty sore for a few days since you haven’t moved around much.” He paused. “And don’t overtax yourself. You can go to the forges, but try to keep the large heavy objects to a minimum?”

Jake’s eyes shone brightly. “Anything to get back to the forges.”

“Come on,” Nyssa said. “We’ll be late for Leo’s… whatever he wants to show us.”

Will was curious about that. Whatever it was Leo was showing his siblings, they had no idea and would be surprised.

.

At the counselor's meeting it was obvious that Aphrodite cabin was not the only one who went through a change in leadership. Leo Valdez was now there to represent Hephaestus cabin and he looked quite excited about something.

Will took his spot around the ping-pong table and gratefully accepted a plate of nachos and soda from one of the satyrs. He absently began wrapping and unwrapping an Ace bandage around his wrist as he waited for the meeting to begin.

Clarisse had her boots on the table, but nobody seemed to care. Clovis was snoring in the corner while Butch was seeing how many pencils he could fit in Clovis‘s nostrils. Travis was holding a lighter under a Ping-Pong ball to see if it would burn. Next to Will, Lou Ellen was playing “got-your-nose” with Miranda Gardiner, except that Lou Ellen really had magically disconnected Miranda‘s nose, and Miranda was trying to get it back.

Will grinned at his friend. He shook his head fondly.

Rachel Dare sat next to Chiron at the head of the table. She was wearing her Clarion Academy school uniform dress which definitely didn’t seem like her. Will was used to seeing Rachel in various paint splattered articles of clothing.

Annabeth didn't look so relaxed. She wore armor over her camp clothes, with her knife at her side and her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail.

“Let's come to order,” Chiron said. “Lou Ellen, please give Miranda her nose back. Travis, if you‘d kindly extinguish the flaming Ping-Pong ball, and Butch, I think twenty pencils is really too many for any human nostril. Thank you.”

“But did I really give her nose back?” Lou Ellen whispered mysteriously.

Will stifled a laugh.

“Now, as you can see, Jason, Piper, and Leo have returned successfully... more or less,” Chiron said. “Some of you have heard parts of their story, but I will let them fill you in.”

Everyone looked at Jason. He cleared his throat and began the story. Piper and Leo chimed in from time to time, filling in the details he forgot. Jason ended with Hera visiting him right before this meeting.

“So Hera was here,” Annabeth said. “Talking to you.”

Jason nodded. “Look, I'm not saying I trust her—”

“That's smart,” Annabeth said.

“—but she isn't making this up about another group of demigods. That's where I came from.”

“Romans.” Clarisse tossed Seymour a Snausage. “You expect us to believe there's another camp with demigods, but they follow the Roman forms of the gods. And we've never even heard of them.”

Piper sat forward. “The gods have kept the two groups apart, because every time they see each other, they try to kill each other.”

Will frowned. It sounded like she had heard about the Romans already.

“I can respect that,” Clarisse said. “Still, why haven't we ever run across each other on quests?”

“Oh, yes,” Chiron said sadly. “You have, many times. It's always a tragedy, and always the gods do their best to wipe clean the memories of those involved. The rivalry goes all the way back to the Trojan War, Clarisse. The Greeks invaded Troy and burned it to the ground. The Trojan hero Aeneas escaped, and eventually made his way to Italy, where he founded the race that would someday become Rome. The Romans grew more and more powerful, worshipping the same gods but under different names, and with slightly different personalities.”

As Will listened to Chiron, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The Greeks had named their gods and come up with the myths. When the Romans took over, all they had done was change the names.

“More warlike,” Jason said. “More united. More about expansion, conquest, and discipline.”

“Yuck,” Travis put in.

Several of the others looked equally uncomfortable, though Clarisse shrugged like it sounded okay to her.

Annabeth twirled her knife on the table. “And the Romans hated the Greeks. They took revenge when they conquered the Greek isles, and made them part of the Roman Empire.”

“Not exactly hated them,” Jason said. “The Romans admired Greek culture, and were a little jealous. In return, the Greeks thought the Romans were barbarians, but they respected their military power. So during Roman times, demigods started to divide—either Greek or Roman.”

“And it's been that way ever since,” Annabeth guessed. “But this is crazy. Chiron, where were the Romans during the Titan War? Didn't they want to help?”

Will agreed. They had lost a lot of friends in that war and the Romans hadn’t shown up to fight Kronos or defend Olympus. How many lives could their assistance have saved? How much faster could they have defeated the Titans?

Chiron tugged at his beard. “They did help, Annabeth. While you and Percy were leading the battle to save Manhattan, who do you think conquered Mount Othrys, the Titans' base in California?”

“Hold on,” Travis said. “You said Mount Othrys just crumbled when we beat Kronos.”

“No,” Jason said. He frowned like he was trying to remember something. “It didn't just fall. We destroyed their palace. I defeated the Titan Krios myself.”

“The Bay Area,” Annabeth said. “We demigods were always told to stay away from it because Mount Othrys was there. But that wasn't the only reason, was it? The Roman camp—it's got to be somewhere near San Francisco. I bet it was put there to keep watch on the Titans' territory. Where is it?”

Chiron shifted in his wheelchair. “I cannot say. Honestly, even I have never been trusted with that information. My counterpart, Lupa, is not exactly the sharing type. Jason's memory, too, has been burned away.”

“The camp's heavily veiled with magic,” Jason said. “And heavily guarded. We could search for years and never find it.”

Rachel Dare laced her fingers. Of all the people in the room, only she didn't seem nervous about the conversation. “But you'll try, won't you? You'll build Leo's boat, the Argo II. And before you make for Greece, you'll sail for the Roman camp. You'll need their help to confront the giants.”

_ Leo’s what? _ Will wondered.  _ The Argo II? _

“Bad plan,” Clarisse warned. “If those Romans see a warship coming, they'll assume we're attacking.”

“You're probably right,” Jason agreed. “But we have to try. I was sent here to learn about Camp Half-Blood, to try to convince you the two camps don't have to be enemies. A peace offering.”

“Hmm,” Rachel said. “Because Hera is convinced we need both camps to win the war with the giants. Seven heroes of Olympus—some Greek, some Roman.”

Annabeth nodded. “Your Great Prophecy—what's the last line?”

“And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.”

“Gaea has opened the Doors of Death,” Annabeth said. “She‘s letting out the worst villains of the Underworld to fight us. Medea, Midas—there'll be more, I'm sure. Maybe the line means that the Roman and Greek demigods will unite, and find the doors, and close them.”

“Or it could mean they fight each other at the doors of death,” Clarisse pointed out. “It doesn't say we'll cooperate.”

There was silence as the campers let that happy thought sink in.

Will’s own thoughts went back a few days to the conversation Nico and Annabeth had in Central Park. Nico seemed like he was holding back. When Will mentioned that line from the prophecy, Nico seemed to shut down. If Will was reading this right, then Nico definitely knew more than he let on. He might have even known about the Roman demigods’ existence. The two water spirits certainly had. They had said that it was forbidden to talk about it. What if Nico had been sworn into the same secrecy as they had?

“I'm going,” Annabeth said. “Jason, when you get this ship built, let me go with you.”

“I was hoping you'd offer,” Jason said. “You of all people—we'll need you.”

“Wait.” Leo frowned. “I mean that's cool with me and all. But why Annabeth of all people?”

“Hera said my coming here was an exchange of leaders,” Jason said. “A way for the two camps to learn of each other's existence.”

“Yeah?” Leo said. “So?”

“An exchange goes two ways,” Jason said. “When I got here, my memory was wiped. I didn't know who I was or where I belonged. Fortunately, you guys took me in and I found a new home. I know you're not my enemy. The Roman camp—they're not so friendly. You prove your worth quickly, or you don't survive. They may not be so nice to him, and if they learn where he comes from, he's going to be in serious trouble.”

“Him?” Leo said. “Who are you talking about?”

“My boyfriend,” Annabeth said grimly. “He disappeared around the same time Jason appeared. If Jason came to Camp Half-Blood—”

“Exactly,” Jason agreed. “Percy Jackson is at the other camp, and he probably doesn't even remember who he is.”

Will exchanged a look with Annabeth. “That’s why the spirits were so reluctant to say anything.”

“What spirits?” Jason asked.

“Will and I left after you guys did to look for Percy,” Annabeth explained. “We talked to a few water spirits. They told us they couldn’t speak about Hera’s gamble. If the gods have forbidden anyone from telling us about each other’s existence and Percy and Jason really have switched places, then…” she trailed off.

“So the Seven,” Lou Ellen began, “that would be Jason, Piper, Leo, Annabeth, Percy, and two Romans?”

Jason nodded. “I don’t know who the other two might be, but if what happened to me is anything to go by, I’d bet Percy will go on a quest with those two.”

“Do you remember anyone from… the Roman camp that might be going?” Miranda asked hesitantly.

Jason seemed reluctant to say anything, but he rattled off a list of names. “Dakota, Gwendolyn, Hazel, Bobby, and Reyna. I remember them. Kind of. They were… I think we were friends. Reyna and I… we were - we  _ are _ the Praetors.” He winced and held his hand to his head. “Sorry. It’s just… fuzzy still.”

It was silent until Butch turned to Leo.

“So. A boat?”

Leo grinned. “The Argo II. We’ll be sailing in June, so it’s all hands on deck.” His pun seemed to crack the son of Hephaestus up more. “We’ll pick up three demigods, one with a side order of amnesia, then set sail for Greece?”

Piper glanced at Jason. “Greece?”

Jason nodded. “Greece.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, kiddos. Actually, you'll be sailing for Rome. Greece comes a little later, but you don't know that yet.


	39. The Quest of Seven Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable text from the Son of Neptune

Over the next few months, Leo and his siblings worked dawn till dusk on the construction of the Argo II. Jason and Piper helped out since they felt they should contribute something to the giant warship they would be leaving Camp in. Annabeth had helped with the final touches on the blueprints, but for the most part, she was focused on trying to contact Percy.

Jason had told them that Iris Messages probably wouldn’t work because Iris wasn’t Roman, but Annabeth had enlisted Clovis and Grover in trying to contact Percy. Grover tried the empathy link he had with Percy to no avail. Clovis attempted to search out Percy in dreams, but he hadn’t been able to locate the son of Poseidon yet.

“It’s getting depressing again,” Cecil sighed in late April. “I mean, Jason gave us hope that Percy’s out there, but it’s been months.”

“Jason thinks Hera took him sometime in October,” Lou Ellen pointed out. “He didn’t show up here until December. Percy disappeared in December, so maybe Hera hasn’t sent Percy to the camp yet? Or maybe she’s blocking him from us.”

“I hope Percy’s at the Roman camp,” Will muttered. “Jason still hasn’t gotten all his memory back yet. They’re supposed to set sail for Greece in June. Percy will need to have his memory back by then.”

Tensions had been running high ever since the reveal that there were Roman demigods out there. With the knowledge safely revealed by Jason, Chiron was free to attempt to answer the questions the other demigods had, but it wasn’t as much information as they wanted.

Annabeth seemed to be on a warpath when none of her Iris Messages managed to get through to Nico and Clovis reported that Nico had shut him out of his dreams so she couldn’t get any messages to him that way.

Jason frowned whenever they mentioned the son of Hades, but he never said anything about him.

Tyson and Mrs. O’Leary had begun a pathway west where the Roman camp was supposed to be. Annabeth hoped that Percy’s pet hellhound could sniff out his trail and hopefully find him. Tyson had reported back that they seemed to have found Percy’s trail, but it was very faint. Like weeks old.

Finally, some time in late June, Grover jolted up during lunch.

“Percy!” he shouted.

Annabeth’s head whipped in his direction. “You got him?”

Grover squeezed his eyes shut in concentration. “Percy!”

Everyone seemed to be waiting with baited breath.

“What?” Grover asked, eyes still closed. He sounded confused. “No, Percy. It’s me, Grover! Stay put! We’re on our way to find you. Tyson is close - at least we think he’s the closest. We’re trying to get a lock on your position.” He groaned.

“Did you see him?” Annabeth asked hopefully.

Grover nodded. “He… he’s definitely in California.”

Jason perked up. “California? He must be at Camp!” He smiled. “This is good! Once we finish the Argo II, we can head there. Tyson and Mrs. O’Leary are close, right? If they can tell us where Percy is-”

“You still don’t remember?” Clarisse scoffed.

Will stood up. “It’s goddess induced amnesia. I don’t think Jason has any control over his memories, Clarisse.”

Annabeth held up a hand. “Okay. Everyone be quiet. Jason’s right. This is good.” She looked at Leo. “How long until we can sail?”

Leo winced. “I’m thinking we won’t be able to sail until the 24th. Which puts us at arriving on the 25th at the earliest.”

“It’s the 20th now,” Annabeth hissed. “Do you know how much trouble Percy can get into in four days? The answer is a lot!”

Leo avoided her gaze.

“Well?” Annabeth snapped. “Get to work?”

With wide eyes, Leo practically ran to the construction site of the Argo II.

“Annabeth, chill,” her brother Malcolm said, gently pushing Annabeth away from the crowd of campers. “Clovis!” He called.

Will met his siblings’ eyes.

“Percy’s alive,” Austin grinned.

Kayla exhaled. “Thank the gods. Now we just have to survive four days of Annabeth.”

.

The next piece of news they heard about Percy came three days later. Tyson’s Iris Message interrupted the final meeting for the Argo II.

“Tyson!” Chiron called out when the rainbow shimmered to life. “Did you find Percy?”

The cyclops shook his head. “In Vancouver. Brother was here at a mansion. It burned down. Mrs. O’Leary is smelling for him.”

Annabeth deflated.

Tyson’s face brightened. “Percy did speak to me. Told me to find harpy. I will find the red harpy.”

“Did he say where Camp is?” Jason asked quickly.

“Oakland Hills,” Tyson recalled. His single eye looked strange frowning in concentration. “In California. The Caldecott Tunnel.”

“You asked about that!” Piper exclaimed. “On our quest, Jason. Remember! You must have been drawn to it.”

“Have to go,” Tyson said, looking worried. “I must find the red harpy and hurry to help Percy. Giant army is marching south. They will attack the Camp. Tyson will help fight.”

The message dissolved.

“A giant army?” Jason asked, pale faced.

Will gave him a sympathetic look. “Tyson’s a good fighter. He can help.” He looked at Leo. “Will the ship get there in time to help?”

Leo shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. Like I said before, departure is on the 24th. Tomorrow. If the giant army plans to attack… well, I don’t know when they plan to attack.”

“Tomorrow is the Feast of Fortuna,” Lou Ellen volunteered. “It’s a Roman celebration. Fortuna is the Roman form of Tyche. If I was a giant, I’d attack on the day that’s supposed to celebrate luck.”

“You won’t get there until a day too late to help,” Katie sighed.

“In happier news, I figured out a way to alert the Romans to our oncoming awesomeness,” Leo announced. “Holographic scroll. Basically, I’ll be recording a video to send to the Romans. Should reach them roughly an hour or so before we arrive.”

“Good to know that our giant warship won’t be shot out of the sky if a  _ holographic scroll _ makes it to the Romans,” Pollux muttered under his breath.

“Don’t knock the holographic scroll,” Leo said, holding up his hands.

.

The campers gathered at the Argo II for a final farewell to the four leaving the next day.

Leo recorded his message. “Hey! Greetings from your friends at Camp Half-Blood, et cetera. This is Leo. I’m the…” he trailed off. “What’s my title? Am I like admiral, or captain, or-”

“Repair boy!” Piper called.

“Very funny, Piper,” Leo grumbled. “So yeah, I’m ... ah ... supreme commander of the Argo II. Yeah, I like that! Anyway, we’re gonna be sailing toward you in about, I dunno, an hour in this big mother warship. We’d appreciate it if you’d not, like, blow us out of the sky or anything. So okay! If you could tell the Romans that. See you soon. Yours in demigodishness, and all that. Peace out.”

“That’s it?” Annabeth asked after a moment of silence.

“That’s it,” Leo grinned. “Well, nice knowing you guys! I had a blast making my ship. Let’s go SAVE THE WORLD!” he yelled.

Annabeth shook her head. “Okay. I told Tyson we won’t be arriving for at least another day. If he finds Percy, he’ll let him know we’re coming.” She looked at Will. “Thanks for going with me back in December.”

Will shrugged. “Just bring him back. Save the world. Don’t die. It’s… bad for your health, you know.”

Annabeth smiled. “We’ll send you guys an IM when we leave the Roman camp.”

Will watched as Jason, Piper, Leo, and Annabeth boarded the Argo II followed by Coach Hedge. The satyr had been elected to chaperone the quest by Chiron who was less than happy stuffing a group of teenagers onto a warship together.

“Exciting isn’t it?” Lou Ellen said from next to Will. “A whole new group of demigods. I wonder what their camp is like.”

“Jason said it was way more strict and militaristic than Camp Half-Blood,” Will pointed out. “So, I imagine that they’re a whole camp of Ares kids.”

Lou Ellen snorted. “Right. Just what we need. In any case, that will definitely be helpful for the fight against the giants and Gaea.”

“Two Great Prophecies in our generation,” Will sighed. “Why us?”

“We’re special,” Lou Ellen grinned. “Come on. Back to our everyday activities until we get word from the Argo II that they have successfully retrieved Percy and the two Romans.”

The Iris Message never came. Instead, Tyson showed up on Mrs. O’Leary the next day with a harpy.

“Bad things happened,” Tyson told Chiron.

Chiron glanced at the rest of the campers listening in. “We should take this somewhere more private. Got about your day,” he called to the campers.

“What’s that about?” Cecil wondered as Tyson and Chiron went into the Big House.

“Bad things,” Lou Ellen repeated. “What happened? Oh my gods, the Romans killed Percy.”

Will glared at her. “The Romans did not kill Percy. Calm down. I’m sure Chiron will tell us what happened.”

Chiron did not tell them what happened. It wasn’t until the next head counselor meeting the next day that anyone got any information.

“There have been some, ah, shall we say disastrous events,” Chiron said with a wince.

“Disastrous events?” Malcolm, who had taken over Athena cabin with Annabeth’s absence, repeated. “What do you mean disastrous?”

Chiron mulled it over. “Well, you see. There was an incident with the Argo II.”

“The Romans shot down the ship,” Clarisse said, banging a fist on the ping-pong table. “I knew we couldn’t trust them.”

“Can we let Chiron tell us whatever it was Tyson told him?” Will sighed, hands rubbing his face.

“Thank you, Will,” Katie nodded. “Go on, Chiron.”

“Yes, well, what I mean to say is that somehow the Argo II fired on the Romans and now the Seven have a slightly damaged ship and the Romans are hunting them down,” Chiron explained quickly.

“So basically everything that we didn’t want to happen,” Holly Victor said.

“Happened,” her sister Laurel finished.

Lou Ellen sighed. “Okay. So now what? Do they need our help? What do we do?”

“Unfortunately, they are on their own,” Chiron said grimly. “We must begin preparing for a possible battle between the two camps. If the Romans cannot catch the Seven before they cross the Atlantic, they will undoubtedly search us out.”

Everyone was silent for a moment.

“Did they say anything about where they’re headed?” Travis asked. “Do… do they have a plan? Is Percy okay? Does he remember us?”

Chiron looked down. “Percy gave Tyson the message. He did not relay any of their plans. Greece or Rome would be my guess. Two very different destinations, but the only two I can think of.” He hesitated. “Will? I would like to have you, your siblings, and Rachel attempt to glean some knowledge from our new harpy friend Ella. According to Percy she memorized the Sibylline Books.”

“The what?” Connor asked.

“The Sibylline Books,” Malcolm repeated in awe. “I thought those were lost. Burned actually.”

“What’s so special about these books?” Pollux asked.

Will shared a look with Malcolm. “They were books of prophecy back during the Roman Empire,” Will explained. “There were Oracles of course, but the Romans would consult these books about the future. Supposedly, they all burned when Rome fell. Ella, the harpy, she memorized them?”

“According to Percy and Tyson,” Chiron nodded.

Will sat up straight. “I’ll definitely look into it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Percy saw Grover and Annabeth. Grover through the empathy link, but Annabeth had to have been dreams. So once they got confirmation that Grover got through, they sent Annabeth to Clovis to have him try to get her into Percy's dreams. In my unscientific experience, the dream seems to take much less time than the actual number of hours you are actually asleep, so even though Percy saw them back to back, it didn't happen like that in real time. If that make sense?
> 
> Alright, so there we go. Through Son of Neptune and into the beginning of Mark of Athena.


	40. Ella

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Book timeline wise, this chapter spans over Mark of Athena

“Hey, Tyson,” Will greeted the cyclops. “Ella around?”

Ella swooped down from the trees and landed on a rock. “Around. Around and around. Round and Round. Selena Gomez. A Year Without Rain.”

Rachel grinned. “Ella knows music too? Excellent.”

“Ella is very smart,” Tyson nodded.

“Um, Ella?” Rachel began. “You know how I’m the Oracle of Delphi? I sometimes give prophecies for quests. Percy Jackson said that you sometimes give prophecies too. Is… is that true?”

“Prophecies,” Ella said. “Harry Potter. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches.” The harpy shuddered. “Bad.”

“Yes,” Rachel nodded. “Prophecies like in Harry Potter.” She glanced at Will with a look like  _ what the Hades do I do now? _

Will stepped up next to Rachel. “Well, do you know any prophecies? Anything about our friends? Percy Jackson, Jason Grace, Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, Annabeth Chase-”

Ella perked up. “ _Wisdom’s daughter-_ ”

“Yeah, she’s the daughter of Athena,” Will nodded, “but-”

“Shush!” Rachel said, clamping a hand over Will’s mouth.

“- _walks alone / The Mark of Athena burns through Rome_ ,” Ella continued. “ _Twins snuff out the angel’s breath / Who holds the key to endless death / The giants’ bane stands gold and pale / Won through pain from a woven jail_.”

Will gapped. “Chiron wasn’t lying. That really was…”

“A prophecy,” Rachel finished. “Styx. This is… this is way more than I expected.”

.

“ _Wisdom’s daughter walks along / The Mark of Athena burns through Rome / Twins snuff out the angel’s breath / Who holds the key to endless death / The giants’ bane stands gold and pale / Won through pain from a woven jail_ ,” Will finished reciting. “That’s the prophecy Ella gave us.”

“I think she associates words with certain things she’s read or seen,” Rachel said. She glanced at Will. “I mean, she went from around to the Selena Gomez song and the album name. Then when we said Annabeth’s name, she recited this.”

“Which means that this wisdom’s daughter that’s walking alone is Annabeth,” Malcolm said. He didn’t look too happy about that. “Why is she alone? What’s the Mark of Athena?”

No one had any answers for him.

Chiron cleared his throat. “I’ve informed Thalia Grace and the Hunters of the current situation. I have not managed to get through to Nico di Angelo yet, but perhaps Mrs. O’Leary- What is it, Chiara?”

Chiara had jolted as if electrocuted. “I… it’s just that di Angelo is Italian for angel,” she said, swallowing. “You haven’t gotten through to Nico, and if he’s the angel the prophecy is talking about, then… then maybe he’s already dead.”

Will’s stomach clenched. “He’s not dead. Prophecies aren’t always clear on what they mean. I mean, take the last Great Prophecy for example. We all thought Percy was going to be the hero that died, but it was Luke.” He looked around wildly. “Maybe it just means that Nico’s really winded or… or something like that.”

“Will’s right,” Lou Ellen spoke up. “It doesn’t mean he’s dead, but he might be somewhere IMs can't reach him. I think we can safely say that if this is the prophecy the Seven are following right now, they’re on their way to Rome.” She paused. “It’s June 29. They left four days ago. Even if we wanted to help, they’re probably halfway around the world by now. We just have to prepare for the Romans and wait for the Seven to send word.”

“Agreed,” Chiron said. “Annabeth and Piper sent me a dream message to explain more. The Romans are indeed turning to our camp to attack since the Seven managed to escape capture. A fight is unavoidable.”

“Don’t the Romans see that Gaea is rising and we can’t be bothered to fight each other when we should be fighting her?” Pollux demanded. “I don’t understand.”

“What’s to understand?” Clarisse snorted. “It was a bad idea to trust the Romans. We should have just left it like we did the last war and fight our own battles without the other side knowing.”

“Blame Hera for this,” Rachel scowled. She took a deep breath. “That aside, we just have to hope that the Seven can defeat the giants and prevent Gaea from rising. Then they can fix this… whatever this is.”

.

“ _Wisdom’s daughter walks alone_ ,” Rachel mumbled to herself as Will sat next to her at the Apollo table. “That’s Annabeth.”

Kayla turned to Will. “She’s been muttering things all day. I don’t think she’s moved since lunch. What’s going on?”

“Another prophecy,” Will explained. “Ella gave it to the Seven we think.

“ _The Mark of Athena burns through Rome_ ,” Rachel said. “Mark of Athena.”

“An owl?” Austin suggested helpfully.

Rachel shook her head. “No, it’s gotta be something more than that. Otherwise it would just say owl. I’ve never heard of the Mark of Athena before. I mean, it might have something to do with owls, but…” she trailed off. “ _Twins snuff out the angel’s breath / Who holds the key to endless death._ Endless death. Might explain why the monsters don’t stay dead very long,” she muttered.

Something clicked in Will’s head. He remembered a conversation back in December.

_ “I was actually hoping to ask you about the Doors of Death. Do you have any information on that? I’ve never heard of them before, and neither has anyone else,” Annabeth said. _

_ Nico hesitated. “The Doors of Death are Thanatos’ personal gateway in and out of the Underworld. He’s the only one who knows where they are at any given time. Sometimes, monsters slip out after they reform.” He looked around like someone might be watching. “Something is wrong with them though. I’ve run into a few monsters that don’t die. They just keep reforming. Mostly just the more powerful ones, but I can’t say much about it. I’ve already said more than I should.” _

Nico knew a lot more than he had told them about the Doors. Maybe even enough to search out the Doors himself. If that was the case, and he had found them, then Nico was the only one who could tell the Seven where to go to close the Doors of Death.

Rachel had moved on to the last part of Ella’s prophecy. “ _The giants’ bane stands gold and pale / Won through pain from a woven jail_.” She paused and tilted her head. “I don’t know what the giants’ bane could be. The Ophiotaurus maybe? It  _ was _ the Bane of Olympus. Maybe the same powers apply to the giants?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Will cut in. “We… we can’t do anything about the prophecy. The Seven are on the other side of the world right now. The prophecy is about them. Not us.”

“The giants’ bane is important, Will,” Rachel insisted. “I know it is. I can feel it. I have to figure out what that is. It might help us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so this chapter took place during Mark of Athena and the next one will take place during House of Hades. After that, it's all during or after Blood of Olympus.


	41. Connor Stoll Knows Exactly What to Do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place during the events of House of Hades. I borrowed some of the lines from one of my stories When They Came, so if you see something familiar, it's probably from that.

On the first day of July, they got reports that the Romans had set up a base in Manhattan. Overall, the mood was very grim around the camp.

They had yet to be attacked, but Clarisse had organized a patrol schedule and the Hephaestus cabin was busy working on new weapons. One of those new weapons nearly burnt the camp down.

Will had finally finished patching up scraps from Capture the Flag when there was a loud explosion coming from the direction of the forges.

“Oh gods what now?” Kayla muttered tonelessly.

They peered outside and their jaws dropped.

Campers ran around trying to put out the flames, but only succeeding in making things worse. The Demeter children were actually making some progress in putting out the flames, but Will attributed that to their desperation to save the grass and flowers and trees growing around Camp. Clarisse shouted out orders which, if anyone was listening and not panicking, would have helped stop the fires from spreading.

“Sorry!” Jake Mason shouted. There was a smile on his face though, so Will wasn’t entirely sure he was actually very sorry at all.

“What the actual Hades?” Kayla gasped.

“The camp is on fire,” Will stated. “Uh, we should go start treating the burns.”

Kayla nodded, eyes still wide and trained on the raging inferno. “Right.”

In the end, they managed to get the fires put out when the Hephaestus cabin rigged up a giant hose to put out the flames.

Chiron trotted up with a look of disapproval on his face. “What exactly happened here?”

“Flamethrower,” Jake offered.

“ _ Someone _ got access to it,” Nyssa added, glaring at the Stoll brothers.

Connor and Travis had twin looks of innocence on their faces.

“Stolls!” Katie grumbled.

“What?” Travis protested. “It was just sitting in the middle of the forges.”

“Yeah, it was just begging to be tested out,” Connor added.

Chiron seemed like he was trying not to throttle them. “Yes, well, it would not do to do the Romans the favor of destroying our camp for them.”

Good old Chiron. He knew how to kill a mood.

“Please tell me you had nothing to do with this,” Will muttered to Cecil.

Cecil grinned. “Oh no. This was all my brothers. Not I. And, Will, can I say how offended I am that you think I could possibly burn down the camp at such a time as when we are on the brink of war with the Romans?”

Will rolled his eyes. “Just double checking. Don’t suppose you know what those two were thinking?”

“Well, they aren’t wrong,” Cecil shrugged. “Flamethrower just sitting there  _ is _ begging to be tested. If not the Hephaestus kids, than who? Us!”

“That’s horrible philosophy,” Lou Ellen said.

“Thank you,” Will said gratefully.

“Even if they do test it, you should test it anyway,” Lou Ellen continued.

Will sighed. “You guys,” he complained.

The flamethrower incident had been the only event that had any significant impact on the lives of those at Camp until dinner one night when the sacrificial fire burned a little brighter, startling a few new campers.

“It’s the Goblet of Fire!” one of them shrieked.

Austin choked on his food. “What?”

“There’s something in the fire!” another one cried out. “It… it looks like a note!”

Connor jolted and ran over, holding a pair of tongs. He stared at them for a moment before reaching into the fire and pulling out an unscorched napkin. His face was pale and confused. Just as he grabbed the napkin from the tongs, they dissolved into nothingness.

“What is it?” Chiron asked sternly. “I do hope this isn’t a Hermes prank.”

Connor shook his head. “No, I swear we didn’t do this. I…” he trailed off. “It’s addressed to me.”

Next to Will, Rachel raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, it’s addressed to you?”

“That’s what it says,” Connor protested. “It says:  _ Connor, Give this to Rachel. Not a prank. Don’t be a moron. Love, Annabeth _ .” He paused. “She thinks I’m a moron?”

Rachel jumped up and ran to Connor. “It’s from Annabeth? How? Why did she send us a napkin in the fire?” She snatched the note from Connor’s hands.

“Uh, Connor?” Travis called uncertainly. “Didn’t those tongs say they were for-”

“What does it say, Dare?” Clarisse shouted out.

“Wait,” Travis said, “I don’t think you should read this aloud. Right now.”

Rachel waved him off. “Oh come on, Travis. Everyone deserves to know how the quest is going.”

Will watched the silent exchange between Travis and Connor. They seemed to be afraid, worried, and horrified at the same time. A sinking feeling started to develop in Will’s gut.

“ _ Rachel _ ,” she began. “ _ It’s Annabeth. I know you probably have questions about how I’m getting this to you via Connor Stoll via flames. _ ”

Annabeth. Always so eloquent.

“ _ Part of the quest is to close the Doors of Death. Nico found out where they are. He and the others are headed to Epirus to close them on the mortal side, _ ” Rachel continued. She frowned. “Mortal side? Chiron, what does that mean?”

Chiron shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t know. Perhaps Annabeth explains?”

Meanwhile, both the Stoll brothers had turned shades of white that could rival a sheet of paper. Will’s eyes narrowed. They knew something.

“ _ They’re traveling with a statue. The Athena Parthenos _ ,” Rachel read.

“The Athena Parthenos?” Malcolm gasped. “But it’s been lost for centuries. Annabeth found it?”

Rachel grinned. “Looks like.  _ You need to contact Reyna. She’s a praetor at Camp Jupiter. It has to be her who brings the statue to Camp Half-Blood. Only a Roman leader returning the statue can fix the bad blood between our two camps. _ ”

“So this could prevent us from going to war with the Romans,” Will realized. “This is great.”

“If this Reyna actually brings the statue here,” Kayla pointed out.

“ _ Deliver this message to Reyna _ ,” Rachel continued. “ _ Tell her that the Argo II plans to sail for Epirus and that she will need to meet them there in order to bring the statue back to the Greeks. It will prevent a bloodshed between our two people. If that isn’t enough, tell her that it is important enough for Percy and I to stop and deliver this message on our own route to the other side of the Doors of Death. _ ”

“Rachel,” Connor said warningly. “You won’t like what comes next.”

Rachel’s eyes flicked up to meet him. “What do you mean?”

“We stole those tongs from the attic,” Travis explained. “There was a note. We’d forgotten about it really, but when Connor grabbed the… the napkin from the fire just now…” He trailed off. “Come on, Rachel. Don’t make me say it.”

“Say what?” Rachel asked dangerously.

Connor looked at Rachel helplessly. “The Doors of Death are how the monsters come back, right? I mean, if there’s two sides and one’s in the mortal world, where do you think the other side is?”

Rachel looked confused for all of one second before the blood completely drained from her face. She looked down at the note. “ _ Nico found the Doors and told Percy and the others about their location while I found the statue. The mortal side is in Epirus which is where Nico and the rest of the Seven are headed. Percy and I got the other side. We fell into… _ ” Rachel’s voice died. She looked at Chiron. “Head… head counselor meeting. Now.”

.

It was a hastily assembled meeting. The head counselors rushed off to the Big House after ordering their siblings to return to their cabins. Kayla and Austin made Will promise to tell them everything when he got back.

“What is so important that you had to call a counselor meeting?” Clarisse snapped. “Read the note, Dare.”

Rachel blinked rapidly. “O-okay.” She cleared her throat. “ _ Percy and I got the other side. We fell into Tartarus. We’re going to close the Doors on our side. _ ”

Everyone was silent as Rachel stumbled over the last lines of the letter.

“ _ Please, Reyna, if Rachel gives you this message. Please. We can’t fight. Gaea is rising. We need to unite. Rachel, just in case Percy and I don’t get out, please make sure the rest of the crew knows we don’t blame them. It wasn’t their fault. All our love, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. _ ”

“The note on the tongs said ‘For plucking the Tartarus napkin from the fire. One use only,’” Connor said when he regained his voice. “I… I didn’t know it would be them.”

Chiron looked at Rachel. “Rachel, they asked you to go to Reyna.”

“I’ll go,” Rachel said immediately. “If this can end the fighting between Greeks and Romans, I’ll do it. Annabeth risked a lot to get me this message. I have to honor her request.”

“Then I would ask that you take someone with you,” Chiron said.

“I’ll take Grover,” Rachel said. “I know he’s heard evidence of Gaea’s waking from nature spirits. I don’t know if we need to convince the Romans, but it might help if he explains the situation there. Besides, Percy and Annabeth are our friends. It seems only right that we be the two to go.” She inhaled sharply. “I will send a message asking for a parlay meeting now and hopefully meet with Reyna tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh, my favorite moments are coming up. First, Will has to deliver a baby. Second, Will's crush (though he will deny it) almost cuts Will's head off. And third, Will calls someone an anemic loser. Poor child. He has no idea what is waiting for him.


	42. The Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

Over the next week they spent most of their time preparing for battle. According to Rachel, Reyna had agreed to retrieve the statue and bring it back to Camp Half-Blood. However, their scouts had reported that the Romans were still planning to attack the Greeks. It didn’t make any sense to Will.

Clarisse took the campers in shifts. She trained them how to form lines and taught them different battle formations. The Hephaestus kids ran around Camp making sure everyone was outfitted with all the correct armor and had weapons balanced for them. Even Chiron was regularly outfitted in his armor.

As for their defenses, Greek triremes floated on Long Island Sound, prepped for war. Along the hills, catapults were being primed. Satyrs patrolled the fields, and riders on pegasi circled overheat, alert for aerial attacks.

Yet, no of this could prepare Will or his siblings for one very important and very terrifying prospect. Coach Hedge’s wife Mellie was currently staying at Camp Half-Blood. And she was very pregnant.

So far, Kayla had been taking care of Mellie and making sure the baby was healthy, but with the threat of the Romans attacking, it was nerve wracking to keep the pregnant cloud nymph at Camp.

Hope came on the 18th in the form of a slightly spotty Iris Message from Coach Hedge. Mellie happily reported to Kayla and Will that Reyna, Nico di Angelo, and Coach Hedge would be on their way with the Athena Parthenos. She also added that the Seven had discovered that Gaea plans to attack Camp Half-Blood on the 1st of August.

According to Kayla, that was just around the time Mellie was due to have her baby. Fantastic.

Counselor meetings had become more frequent and tense.

“Rachel, if this Reyna is supposedly one her way with the statue, why hasn’t she come here yet?” Pollux asked.

“I told you, I don’t know,” Rachel snapped. “Reyna said she was going to go and she doesn’t seem like the type to back out, trust me. She’s honorable. Maybe they’ve encountered monsters that set them back. Coach Hedge told Mellie that he and Nico were accompanying her back here. I assume Nico is shadow traveling them.”

“A jump like that would take days,” Will offered. “I mean, it’s got to be taxing for Nico, right? If he’s shadow traveling himself, Reyna, Coach Hedge, and a statue. It might take a few jumps to get here.”

Chiron held up a hand. “We will have to trust that they are almost back with the statue. We can’t worry about things we can’t control,” he said. “Now let’s review our defenses. Where do we stand?”

Clarisse sat forward. She was still in her full battle armor having come from training and having to return to said training after the meeting. As she spoke, she gestured with her dagger, which made the other counselors lean away from her.

“Our defensive line is mostly solid,” she said. “The campers are as ready to fight as they’ll ever be. We control the beach. Our triremes are unchallenged on Long Island Sound, but those stupid giant eagles dominate our airspace. Inland, in all three directions, the barbarians have us completely cut off.”

Rachel sighed and looked up from her jeans which she had started doodling on. “They’re Romans. Not barbarians.”

Clarisse pointed her dagger at Rachel. “What about their allies, huh? Did you see that tribe of two-headed men that arrived yesterday? Or the glowing red dog-headed guys with the big poleaxes? They look pretty barbaric to me. It would’ve been nice if you’d foreseen any of that, if your Oracle power didn’t break down when we needed it most!”

Will glanced next to himself at Clarisse with a frown.

“That’s hardly my fault,” Rachel said, face red in anger. “Something is wrong with Apollo’s gifts of prophecy If I knew how to fix it-”

“She’s right,” Will said quickly, trying to diffuse the situation. He put his hand gently on Clarisse’s wrist and forced her to lower her dagger.

Clarisse would have stabbed anyone else, but she settled for just a glare.

“Everyone in our cabin has been affected. It’s not just Rachel.” He glanced around the room. “We don’t know what’s going on at Delphi,” he continued. “My dad hasn’t answered any prayers, or appeared in any dreams… I mean, all the gods have been silent, but this isn’t like Apollo. Something’s wrong.”

True enough. The gods couldn’t interfere with their children according to some rules Zeus had put in place, but Apollo had never exactly been the rule following type. If his kids asked for him, sometimes he would pop up in their dreams for a quick chat.

Will and his siblings prayed to their dad every night to hopefully find out what was wrong with Delphi, but Apollo had yet to make an appearance.

Jake grunted. “Probably this Roman dirt-wipe who’s leading the attack. Octavian what’s-his-name. If I was Apollo and my descendant was acting that way, I’d go into hiding out of shame.”

Will couldn’t help the bubble of anger that Octavian sparked in him. “I agree,” he said. “I wish I was a better archer… I wouldn’t mind shooting my Roman relative off his high horse.”

Lou Ellen grinned and stifled a laugh next to him.

“Actually, I wish I could use any of my father’s gifts to stop this war,” he sighed, looking down at his hands. “Unfortunately, I’m just a healer.”

Next to him, Lou Ellen sighed quietly.

“Your talents are essential,” Chiron said. “I fear we’ll need them soon enough. As for seeing the future… what about the harpy Ella? Has she offered any advice from the Sibylline Books?”

Rachel shook her head. “The poor thing is scared out of her wits. Harpies hate being imprisoned. Ever since the Romans surrounded us… well, she feels trapped. She knows Octavian means to capture her. It’s all Tyson and I can do to keep her from flying away.”

“Which would be suicide,” Butch said, crossing his arms. “With those Roman eagles in the air, flying isn’t safe. I’ve already lost two pegasi.”

“At least Tyson brought some of his cyclops friends to help out,” Rachel said. “That’s a little good news.”

Over by the refreshment table, Connor laughed. He had a fistful of Ritz crackers in one hand and a can of Easy Cheese in the other. “A dozen full-grown Cyclopes? That’s a lot of good news! Plus, Lou Ellen and the Hecate kids have been putting up magic barriers, and the whole Hermes cabin has been lining the hills with traps and snares and all kinds of nice surprises for the Romans!”

Lou Ellen, Connor, and Travis all shared devious grins that would have made any sane person run in the opposite direction as quick as they could. Unfortunately, or fortunately, for Will and the other counselors, sane wasn’t a word used to describe demigods at war.

Jake Mason frowned. “Most of which you stole from Bunker Nine and the Hephaestus cabin.”

Clarisse grumbled in agreement. “They even stole the landmines from around the Ares cabin. How do you steal live landmines?”

“We commandeered them for the war effort.” Connor sprayed a glob of Easy Cheese into his mouth. “Besides, you guys have plenty of toys. You can share!”

Chiron turned to his left, where Grover sat in silence, fingering his reed pipes. “Grover? What news from the nature spirits?”

Grover heaved a sigh. “Even on a good day, it’s hard to organize nymphs and dryads. With Gaia stirring, they’re almost as disoriented as the gods. Katie and Miranda from the Demeter cabin are out there right now trying to help, but if the Earth Mother wakes…” He looked around the table nervously. “Well, I can’t promise the woods will be safe. Or the hills. Or the strawberry fields. Or –”

“Great.” Jake Mason elbowed Clovis, who was starting to nod off. “So what do we do?”

“Attack.” Clarisse pounded the ping-pong table, which made everyone flinch. “The Romans are getting more reinforcements by the day. We know they plan to invade on August first. Why should we let them set the timetable? I can only guess they’re waiting to gather more forces. They already outnumber us. We should attack now, before they get any stronger; take the fight to them!”

Malcolm coughed into his fist. “Clarisse, I get your point. But have you studied Roman engineering? Their temporary camp is better defended than Camp Half-Blood. Attack them at their base, and we’d be massacred.”

“So we just wait?” Clarisse demanded. “Let them get all their forces prepared while Gaia gets closer to waking? I have Coach Hedge’s pregnant wife under my protection. I am not going to let anything happen to her. I owe Hedge my life. Besides, I’ve been training the campers more than you have, Malcolm. Their morale is low. Everybody is scared. If we’re under siege another nine days –”

“We should stick to Annabeth’s plan.” Connor Stoll looked about as serious as he ever did, despite the Easy Cheese around his mouth. “We have to hold out until she gets that magic Athena statue back here.”

Clarisse rolled her eyes. “You mean if that Roman praetor gets the statue back here. I don’t understand what Annabeth was thinking, collaborating with the enemy. Even if the Roman manages to bring us the statue – which is impossible – we’re supposed to trust that will bring peace? The statue arrives and suddenly the Romans lay down their weapons and start dancing around, throwing flowers?”

Rachel set down her marker pen. “Annabeth knows what she’s doing. We have to try for peace. Unless we can unite the Greeks and Romans, the gods won’t be healed. Unless the gods are healed, there’s no way we can kill the giants. And unless we kill the giants –”

“Gaia wakes,” Connor said. “Game over. Look, Clarisse, Annabeth sent me a message from Tartarus. From fricking Tartarus. Anybody who can do that… hey, I listen to them.”

It was hard to argue with that.

Clarisse crossed her arms. “How do we even know it  _ was _ from Annabeth?”

“It was,” Rachel insisted. “They’ll be here. I know they will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting closer to the battle now! In case you were wondering, this was the meeting Clovis shows Nico during his dream.


	43. Special Delivery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

“Will! Will! WILL SOLACE!”

Will blinked and saw Austin waving a hand in front of his face. He had zoned out in the practically empty infirmary. Although, now that he was paying attention, he could hear voices coming from one of the partitions.

“What’s going on?” Will asked, alert instantly at seeing the panic on Austin’s face.

“Did… did you sleep here?” Austin asked, faltering for a second.

“Mellie said she was feeling off,” Will mumbled, face warm. “What happened? What time is it?”

“It’s still dark, but it’s the first,” Austin said. He grimaced. “Mellie’s gone into labor.”

“Mellie what?” Will said, not sure if he heard his brother correctly.

“Mellie’s going to have the baby right now!” Austin said louder. He had a wild look about him. “Dude, what are we supposed to do? We have to get her to a hospital or something. No one knows how to get past the Romans. Oh gods, what would they do to a pregnant nymph?”

Kayla hurried over from the partition the voices were coming from. “We can’t move her. Mellie’s going to have this baby soon.” She bit her lip worriedly. “Coach Hedge still isn’t here and it’s August first.”

“It’s barely even sunrise yet,” Will groaned. “It’s too early for this.”

Kayla and Austin turned to Will with twin looks of sheepishness.

Will sighed. “What?”

“As head counselor and head of the infirmary, we nominate you to deliver the baby,” Kayla said quickly.

“Excuse me?” Will gapped. “You want  _ me _ to deliver a baby? How am I supposed to do that?”

Austin patted his shoulder. “You’ll do great. You know more about doctor stuff than anyone else here. Good luck!” He gave Will the thumbs up.

Will glared at his siblings as he pulled on scrubs and gloves. “I hate you guys so much.”

“You’re going to do great!” Kayla and Austin cheered.

Will entered the room where Mellie was with a look of forced cheerfulness. “Hi, Mellie.”

.

He could not stop shaking. It was nerve-wracking enough to deliver a baby at the age of fourteen, but when Coach Hedge burst into the room, Will almost collapsed in fear.

Now, only a half hour after delivering the baby satyr named Chuck, Will was sitting around the ping-pong table.

“Coach Hedge said that Reyna and Nico are still out there,” Will said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Travis and Connor had heard the news that Will delivered a baby by now and were snickering to each other.

“Reyna plans to fly the Athena Parthenos to Half-Blood Hill at sunrise,” Will continued. “Nico is supposed to be doing something about the onangers, but Coach said some of us should go scout that out. Just in case.”

Coach Hedge had been very insistent that if they found Nico, he was not allowed to shadow travel. He explained to Will what Nico had been through on the quest which didn’t exactly help with Will’s shaking.

“I’ll take Cecil,” Lou Ellen said. “I can use the Mist and he can disable the onangers.”

“I’ll go too,” Will offered quickly. “I need fresh air.”

Travis snorted. “I bet you do.”

Will ignored them.

“Go,” Chiron nodded. “We have until sunrise to prevent an attack.”

Will and Lou Ellen jumped up and ran out of the Big House. They grabbed Cecil and told him what they were doing.

“Black out,” Cecil grinned. “We get to be ninjas.”

“Sure,” Will said. “Meet at the Big House in five minutes.”

They split off to get dressed in various black clothes. Surprisingly, Will managed to find a few black shirts and pants. He took a tube of eye black from one of his siblings to smear on their faces.

“Dude,” Lou Ellen said, grabbing the eye black from Will when he reached the Big House. “Eye black?” she swiped a strip under each eye. “I’m a football player now.” She rubbed it down her cheeks. “I love it.” Then she did the same for Will and Cecil. “Let’s go!”

“I got binoculars too,” Cecil said, passing them out.

They crept to the top of Half-Blood Hill where they finally got a good look at the onagers.

The nearest onager was a hundred yards downhill, encircled in spiked trenches and guarded by a dozen demigods. The machine was primed, ready to fire. Its huge sling cupped a projectile the size of a Honda Civic, glowing with flecks of gold. There were five others like this.

“Evil,” someone mumbled. “This is evil.”

Will, Cecil, and Lou Ellen glanced over to see Nico di Angelo. He was staring down at the Roman command tent. Will remembered what Coach Hedge had said.

“Nico?” Will said.

Nico spun around, sword in hand. He almost decapitated Will. Dear gods, he had to say something.

“Put that down!” Will hissed. “What are you doing here?”

Nico stared at him. “Me? What are you doing? Getting yourself killed?”

Will scowled. “Hey, we’re scouting the enemy. We took precautions.”

Nico looked unimpressed. “You dressed in black,” he noted, “with the sun coming up. You painted your face but didn’t cover that mop of blond hair. You might as well be waving a yellow flag.”

Will felt his ears turning hot. He gestured to Lou Ellen. “Lou Ellen wrapped some Mist around us too,” he protested.

“Hi,” Lou Ellen said, waving her fingers. “You’re Nico, right? I’ve heard a lot about you. And this is Cecil from Hermes cabin.”

Will was glad for the eye black smeared on his face. He was also glad that Lou Ellen decided not to elaborate on exactly why she heard a lot about him. The last thing he needed was Nico to think he was some kind of stalker obsessed with Nico.

“Did Coach Hedge make it to camp?” Nico asked, coming closer.

Lou Ellen giggled nervously. “Did he ever.”

Will elbowed her. “Yeah. Hedge is fine. He made it just in time for the baby’s birth.” He grimaced.

“The baby!” Nico grinned. It was a nice look to see him smiling for a change. “Mellie and the kid are all right?”

“Fine. A very cute little satyr boy.” Will shuddered. “But I delivered it. Have you ever delivered a

baby?”

“Um, no.”

“I had to get some fresh air. That’s why I volunteered for this mission. Gods of Olympus, my hands are still shaking. See?”

He didn’t know what possessed him to do it, but Will grabbed Nico’s hand, the one that wasn’t on the deadly sword that almost took his head off. It was impulsive seeing as Nico did not like to be touched and Will was pretty sure that hadn’t changed.

But he could feel something when he touched Nico’s hands. Some kind of darkness and Will grew worried about what Coach Hedge had told him.

Nico blinked and quickly pulled his hand out of Will’s. “Whatever,” he snapped. “We don’t have time for chitchat. The Romans are attacking at dawn and I’ve got to-”

“We know,” Will interrupted. “But if you’re planning to shadow-travel to that command tent, forget it.”

“Excuse me?” Nico asked, glaring at Will.

Will ignored the glare. “Coach Hedge told me all about your shadow-travel. You can’t try that again.”

“I just did try it again, Solace. I’m fine.”

Will was surprised Nico remembered his name, but he continued on. “No, you’re not,” Will said. “I’m a healer. I could feel the darkness in your hand as soon as I touched it. Even if you made it to that tent, you’d be in no shape to fight. But you won’t make it. One more slip, and you won’t come back. You are not shadow-traveling. Doctor’s orders,” he added.

Nico looked beyond irritated now. “The camp is about to be destroyed-”

“And we’ll stop the Romans,” Will said. “But we’ll do it our way. Lou Ellen will control the Mist. We’ll sneak around, do as much damage as we can to those onagers. But no shadow-travel.”

“But-”

“No.”

Nico sighed in exasperation. Will watched him with a slightly smug feeling.

“Whatever,” Nico said finally. “But we have to hurry. And you’ll follow my lead.”

“Fine,” Will said. “Just don’t ask me to deliver any more satyr babies and we’ll get along great.”

Cecil shot Will a look when Nico turned his back.  _ Nice one _ , he mouthed.

_ Shut up _ , Will mouthed back.

Lou Ellen’s face was contorted as she tried not to laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was late. Sorry about that. I'm starting to slow down a little with this story. I'm definitely going to finish it, don't worry about that, but I've only got four other chapters written as opposed to the rest of the time I was posting this with like ten or more chapters pre-written. I started writing another story maybe a week ago? So I stopped working on this one. I dunno. I had to get that idea written out and now that I have, I'll probably start back up on this one.
> 
> With that being said, I hope you guys liked the chapter. I never noticed Lou Ellen said she heard a lot about Nico until now. Guess we know why now.


	44. Anemic Loser

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

They made it to the first onager just as chaos broke loose in the Roman troops.

Will, Cecil, and Lou Ellen frowned in confusion as cries rose from some of the Romans. A dozen centaurs barrelled through the ranks, yelling and waving their clubs, followed by a horde of two-headed men banging on trash-can lids.

“What’s going on down there?” Lou Ellen asked.

“That’s my distraction,” Nico said. “Come on.”

All the guards had clustered on the right side of the onager, trying to see what was going on down the ranks, which gave the four Greeks a clear shot to the left. They passed within a few feet of the nearest Roman, but the legionnaire didn’t notice them. Lou Ellen’s Mist magic seemed to be working.

They jumped the spiked trench and reached the machine.

“I brought some Greek fire,” Cecil whispered.

“No,” Nico said. “If we make the damage too obvious, we’ll never get to the other ones in time. Can you recalibrate the aim – like, towards the other onagers’ firing lines?”

Cecil grinned. “Oh, I like the way you think. They sent me because I excel at messing things up.” He went to work while Nico, Will, and Lou Ellen stood guard.

“I mean he’s not wrong,” Lou Ellen whispered to Will.

“Alright,” Cecil announced once he finished with the onager. “Let’s move.”

They shuffled across the hillside towards the next onager.

This time the Mist didn’t work so well. One of the onager guards yelled, “Hey!”

He wasn’t sure why he did it, but Will turned to his friends and said, “Got this.” He took off at a sprint.

Six of the guard chased after him. Hopefully that was enough to give the others a chance to disable the onager. Although, he wasn’t sure what to do about the six following him now.

Moments later, the group of Romans following Will were laying on the ground groaning. Nico stood in the middle of them and he had a slight frown on his face.

Will punched his shoulder. “Thanks for the assist. Six at once isn’t bad.”

“Not bad?” Nico glared at him. “Next time I’ll just let them run you down, Solace.”

“Ah, they’d never catch me.”

It was fun, Will decided. The back and forth banter. Even if Nico was only irritated because Will was just trying to do his job and keep people healthy and safe.

Cecil waved at them from the onager, signalling that his job was done.

They all moved towards the third siege machine.

In the Roman ranks, everything was still in chaos, but the leaders were starting to reassert control. Centaurs and the two-headed men were shoved back into their respective groups.

They were almost to the third onager when one of the guards spotted them from twenty yards away. One yelled, “There!”

Lou Ellen cursed. “They’re expecting an attack now. The Mist doesn’t work well against alert enemies. Do we run?”

“No,” Nico said. “Let’s give them what they expect.”

Before Will could protest, Nico spread his hands. In front of the Romans, the ground erupted. Five skeletons clawed out of the earth. Cecil and Lou Ellen charged in to help. Will lunged for Nico as the son of Hades started to fall forward.

“You idiot,” Will said, holding Nico upright. “I told you no more of that Underworld magic.”

“I’m fine,” Nico muttered.

“Shut up. You’re not,” Will said, pulling out a pack of gum. “Take this.”

Nico gave Will an incredulous look. “You want me to chew gum?”

“It’s medicinal,” Will explained. “Should keep you alive and alert for a few more hours.”

Nico shoved a stick of gum into his mouth. “Tastes like tar and mud.”

“Stop complaining.”

“Hey,” Cecil said, limping over. “You guys kinda missed the fight.”

He and Lou Ellen grinned. Behind them, all the Roman guards were tangled in a weird assortment of ropes and bones.

“Thanks for the skeletons,” Lou Ellen said to Nico. “Great trick.”

Will frowned at her. “Which he won’t be doing again,” he said pointedly, looking at Nico.

Nico pushed himself away from Will. “I’ll do what I need to do.”

Will rolled his eyes. “Fine, Death Boy. If you want to get yourself killed-”

“Do not call me Death Boy!” Nico said angrily, face flushed a light pink.

Lou Ellen cleared her throat. “Um, guys-”

“DROP YOUR WEAPONS!” someone yelled.

A boy with purple robes over his armor, gold jewellery glittering on his neck and arms, and a crown of laurels on his head marched forward. He was backed by a whole army of Romans and monsters.

“Well,” he snarled. “Graecus saboteurs.” He turned to the dog-headed warriors. “Tear them apart.”

Nico lifted his sword, but Will highly doubted he had any strength left in him to fight. Will let out a piercing whistle causing all the dog-men to drop their weapons and grab their ears. They fell down in agony.

“Dude,” Cecil complained, popping his ears. “What the actual Hades? A little warning next time.”

“It’s even worse for the dogs,” Will shrugged. “One of my few musical talents. I do a really awful ultrasonic whistle.”

Nico didn’t say anything, but when Will looked over at him, Nico had already dissolved the dog-men into shadows with his sword.

“My-my elite guard!” the Roman boy said, looking around. “Did you see what he did to my elite guard?”

“Some dogs need to be put down.” Nico took a step forward. “Like you.”

Octavian. This was Octavian, Will realized. The Roman who decided to wage war on Camp Half-Blood and align himself with monsters. He felt a surge of anger.

“You will be destroyed!” Octavian shrieked. “You Graeci sneak around, sabotaging our weapons, attacking our men –”

“You mean the weapons you were about to fire at us?” Cecil asked.

“And the men who were about to burn our camp to ashes?” added Lou Ellen.

“Just like a Greek!” Octavian yelled. “Trying to twist things around! Well, it won’t work!” He pointed to the nearest Romans. “You, you, you and you. Check all the onagers. Make sure they’re operational. I want them fired simultaneously as soon as possible. Go!”

The four Romans ran.

Will prayed to all the gods that Cecil had done a good enough job at messing up the onagers subtly enough that the Romans wouldn’t notice anything was wrong.

Octavian marched up to Nico. “Tell me, son of Pluto,” the augur hissed, “why are you helping the Greeks? What have they ever done for you?”

Octavian knew Nico? How?

Then Will focused on the last part of what Octavian said.

_ What have they ever done for you? _

Nico had run away from Camp when he was eleven. He hadn’t stayed that summer after the Battle of the Labyrinth. And again, Nico had left in the fall after the Titan war.

“I’m helping the Greeks and the Romans,” Nico said.

Octavian laughed. “Don’t try to con me. What have they offered you – a place in their camp? They won’t honour their agreement.”

“I don’t want a place in their camp,” Nico snarled. “Or in yours. When this war is over, I’m leaving both camps for good.”

Will stared at Nico, hurt. “Why would you do that?”

Nico scowled. “It’s none of your business, but I don’t belong. That’s obvious. No one wants me. I’m a child of-”

“Oh, please,” Will said angrily. “Nobody at Camp Half-Blood ever pushed you away. You have friends - or at least people who would like to be your friend. You pushed yourself away. If you’d get your head out of that brooding cloud of yours for once-”

“Enough!” Octavian snapped. “Di Angelo, I can beat any offer the Greeks could make. I always thought you would make a powerful ally. I see the ruthlessness in you, and I appreciate that. I can assure you a place in New Rome. All you have to do is step aside and allow the Romans to win. The god Apollo has shown me the future –”

Will’s blood boiled. “No!” he said, shoving Nico out of the way and getting up in Octavian’s face. “I am a son of Apollo, you anaemic loser.” He wasn’t sure where that came from, but it felt good to yell at Octavian. “My father hasn’t shown anyone the future, because the power of prophecy isn’t working. But this-” he gestured to the hordes of monsters and Roman warriors. “This is not what Apollo would want!”

Octavian’s lip curled. “You lie. The god told me personally that I would be remembered as the saviour of Rome. I will lead the legion to victory, and I will start by –”

_ Thunk-thunk-thunk _ .

All the onagers fired at once. Six golden comets billowed into the sky.

“By destroying the Greeks!” Octavian cried with glee. “The days of Camp Half-Blood are over!”

From the three sabotaged machines, the payloads veered sideways, arcing towards the barrage from the other three onagers.

The fireballs didn’t collide directly. They didn’t need to. As soon as the missiles got close to one another, all six warheads detonated in midair, spraying a dome of gold and fire that sucked the oxygen right out of the sky.

“You did it!” Will whispered to Cecil who grinned back.

The heat stung their faces. The grass hissed. The tops of the trees steamed. But, when the fireworks faded, no serious damage had been done.

Octavian reacted first. He stomped his feet and yelled, “NO! NO, NO! RELOAD!”

None of the Romans moved which was good, Will supposed. Then, to the right, a group of Romans marched towards them.

“Octavian!” one of them called. “We have new orders.”

Octavian’s left eye twitched so violently it looked like it might explode. “Orders? From whom? Not from me!”

“From Reyna,” the Roman said, loud enough to make sure all the Romans could hear. “She’s ordered us to stand down.”

“Reyna?” Octavian laughed, though no one seemed to get the joke. “You mean the outlaw I sent you to arrest? The ex-praetor who conspired to betray her own people with this Graecus?” He jabbed his finger in Nico’s chest. “You’re taking orders from her?”

The group of Romans formed up behind their leader, uneasily facing Octavian’s supporters.

The leader crossed his arms stubbornly. “Reyna is the praetor until voted otherwise by the Senate.”

“This is war!” Octavian yelled. “I’ve brought you to the brink of ultimate victory and you want to give up? First Cohort: arrest Centurion Dakota and any who stand with him. Fifth Cohort: remember your vows to Rome and the legion. You will obey me!”

Dakota. Will decided that if this Dakota was going to stand up to Octavian, that was good enough for him.

“Don’t do this, Octavian,” Will said, shaking his head. “Don’t force your people to chose. This is your last chance.”

“My last chance?” Octavian grinned, madness glinting in his eyes. “I will SAVE ROME! Now, Romans, follow my orders! Arrest Dakota. Destroy these Graecus scum. And reload those onagers!”

Will wished that electronics were demigod friendly. If there were, he could have sent off a quick text to his fellow campers that the onagers had been successfully tampered with and he, Cecil, Lou Ellen, and Nico were attempting to get Octavian to calm the Hades down.

No such luck however.

At that moment, the entire army of Camp Half-Blood appeared on the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Clarisse rode in the lead, on a red war chariot pulled by metal horses. A hundred demigods fanned out around her, with twice that many satyrs and nature spirits led by Grover. Tyson lumbered forward with six other Cyclopes. Chiron stood in full white stallion mode, his bow drawn.

Impressive, but so very, very unhelpful right now.

Clarisse yelled, “Romans, you have fired on our camp! Withdraw or be destroyed!”

Octavian wheeled on his troops. “You see? It was a trick! They divided us so they could launch a surprise attack. Legion, cuneum formate! CHARGE!”

“I’m going to kill him,” Lou Ellen muttered darkly.

Will couldn’t agree more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Will. I just love your "anemic loser" line.


	45. Octavian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

A shape in the sky caught Will’s eye. He stared up as a fleet of winged figures descended through the sky with a giant humanoid figure between them. He let out another ultrasonic whistle that forced both Greeks and Romans alike to drop their weapons and flinch back.

“DON’T BE STUPID!” he yelled. “LOOK!”

He pointed up at what was very obviously a statue carried by pegasi. If he had to hazard a guess, he’d say it was the Athena Parthenos. Reyna had arrived just in time.

The Athena Parthenos gleaming in the sunrise, flying in from the coast, suspended from the tethers of six winged horses. Roman eagles circled but did not attack. A few of them even swooped in, grabbed the cables and helped carry the statue.

A girl with a purple cloak and sword held high was perched on the back of one of the pegasi. It had to be Reyna.

Both armies stared, dumbfounded, as the forty-foot-tall gold and ivory statue came in for a landing.

“GREEK DEMIGODS!” Reyna’s voice boomed as if projected from the statue itself, like the Athena Parthenos had become a stack of concert speakers. “Behold your most sacred statue, the Athena Parthenos, wrongly taken by the Romans. I return it to you now as a gesture of peace!”

The statue settled on the crest of the hill, about twenty feet away from Thalia’s pine tree. Instantly gold light rippled across the ground, into the valley of Camp Half-Blood and down the opposite side through the Roman ranks. Warmth seeped into Will’s bones – a comforting, peaceful sensation. A voice inside him seemed to whisper:  _ You are not alone. You are part of the Olympian family. The gods have not abandoned you. _

“Romans!” Reyna yelled. “I do this for the good of the legion, for the good of Rome. We must stand together with our Greek brethren!”

“Listen to her!” Nico marched forward. He strode between the battle lines, his black sword in his hand.

It was very impressive, though Will worried that the exhaustion from using all his powers would cause him to topple over mid-speech.

“Reyna risked her life for all of you!” Nico continued. “We brought this statue halfway across the world, Roman and Greek working together, because we must join forces. Gaea is rising. If we don’t work together –”

_ YOU WILL DIE. _

The voice shook the earth. The feeling of peace and safety instantly vanished. Wind swept across the hillside. The ground itself became fluid and sticky, the grass pulling at their boots.

_ A FUTILE GESTURE. _

It felt as if they were standing on the goddess’s throat – as if the entire length of Long Island resonated with her vocal cords.

_ BUT, IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY, YOU MAY DIE TOGETHER. _

“No…” Octavian scrambled backwards. “No, no…” He broke and ran, pushing through his own troops.

If it wasn’t completely terrifying to know that Gaea was awake, Will would have screamed  _ I told you so _ .

“CLOSE RANKS!” Reyna yelled.

The Greeks and Romans moved together, standing shoulder to shoulder as all around them the earth shook.

Octavian’s monster troops surged forward, surrounding the demigods. Both camps put together were a minuscule dot in a sea of enemies. They would make their final stand on Half-Blood Hill, with the Athena Parthenos as their rallying point.

But even here they stood on enemy ground. Because Gaea was the earth, and the earth was awake.

_ Hey, dad, _ Will prayed.  _ If you’re listening, please help us out. Please. _

The monsters let out a vicious roar and then the sounds of battle broke out.

Will was separated from Cecil and Lou Ellen immediately. It terrified him a little bit if he was being honest. The last time he had fought in a major battle like this, Will had gotten the chance to say goodbye. He had gotten some warning that there would be friends and siblings he would not see alive ever again.

_ “Hey,” Cecil said to Will. He bit his lip. “Don’t die.” _

_ Will swallowed the lump in his throat. “As long as you don’t die either.” _

A flaming object streaked across the sky.

Will blinked. “Gods of Olympus, what is that?”

It looked like the Argo II was about a second from falling apart due to flames and the sheer velocity of the ship. Will could barely make out six figures leaving the flying ship and descending into battle.

Suddenly, a glint of gold caught his eye.

Octavian.

Will had forgotten all about the Roman who had slipped away in the confusion of Gaea waking. He shoved through the crowd of monsters and demigods alike to go after Octavian.

He hadn’t gone very far when he finally understood what Octavian was doing. Reloading the onagers that had almost destroyed Camp Half-Blood.

Will’s stomach clenched and he almost charged straight at Octavian. But what would he do to stop the Roman? Why would Octavian even listen to him, a Greek? He barely listened to Reyna and she was the praetor. The leader of Camp Jupiter.

Nico. Nico might know what to do.

Will changed course and ran back the direction he had come from and prayed that Nico hadn’t moved much since he had left him.

Once, he thought he heard a voice screaming, “I hate flying!” from the large dragon overhead - Since when did they have a dragon fighting on their side? - but Will ignored it. He had to find Nico.

He passed Piper and Reyna fighting side by side and finally reached the spot where Nico and Jason now stood fighting back to back.

Will ran up and leaned towards Nico. “Octavian,” he said loudly over the shouts of battle.

That got Nico’s full attention. “Where?”

“Come on,” Will said. “Hurry.”

Nico turned to Jason. “Jason, I have to go.”

They didn’t wait for an answer. Will lead Nico back towards the onagers where Octavian was. They passed Tyson and his Cyclopes, who were bellowing, ‘Bad dog! Bad dog!’ as they bashed the heads of the cynocephali. Grover and a team of satyrs danced around with their panpipes, playing harmonies so dissonant that the earthen-shelled ghosts cracked apart.

Travis ran past, arguing with Connor. “What do you mean we set the landmines on the wrong hill?”

Will didn’t have time to worry about that, but he did allow a tiny prayer that he and Nico wouldn’t wander onto said wrong hill and trigger an explosion.

Nico and Will were halfway down the hill when the ground trembled under their feet. Like everyone else – monster and demigod alike – they froze in horror and watched as the whirling column of earth erupted from the top of the next hill. The column of earth thickened into the twenty-foot-tall figure of a woman – her dress woven from blades of grass, her skin as white as quartz, her hair brown and tangled like tree roots.

Gaea.

Then something large and bronze swooped out of the sky.

_ FOOOOMP! _

In a flash of bronze, Gaea was swept off the hillside, snarled in the claws of a fifty-ton metal dragon.

Festus the bronze dragon had snatched up the Earth goddess, spewing fire from his mouth triumphantly. Leo Valdez grinned from his spot on the dragon’s back.

“What – how –?” Nico stammered.

“I don’t know,” Will said. “But I doubt there’s much we can do about that. We have other problems.” He sprinted towards the onager he had seen Octavian at earlier.

Octavian was furiously readjusting the machine’s targeting levers. The throwing arm was already primed with a full payload of gold and explosives. The Roman rushed about, tripping over gears and anchor spikes, fumbling with the ropes. Every so often, he glanced up at Festus the dragon.

“Octavian!” Nico yelled.

Octavian spun around, then backed up against the onager. His fine purple robes snagged on the trigger rope, but Octavian didn’t notice. Fumes from the payload curled about him as if drawn to the gold jewellery around his arms and neck, the golden wreath in his hair.

“Oh, I see!” Octavian laughed, sounding slightly more insane than Will already considered him. “Trying to steal my glory, eh? No, no, son of Pluto. I am the savior of Rome. I was promised!”

Will raised his hands. He had to warn Octavian about his robes. “Octavian, get away from the onager. That isn’t safe.”

“Of course it’s not!” Octavian snorted. “I will shoot Gaea down with this machine!”

Overhead, storm clouds gathered and swirled into a hurricane. Thunder boomed and lightning crackled in the air.

“You see?” Octavian cried. The gold on his body was definitely smoking now, attracted to the catapult’s payload like iron to a giant magnet. “The gods approve of my actions!”

“Jason is making that storm,” Nico said. “If you fire the onager, you’ll kill him and Piper, and –”

“Good!” Octavian yelled. “They’re traitors! All traitors!”

“Listen to me,” Will tried again desperately. He didn’t like Octavian, but it would be wrong not to warn him about the dangers of firing the onager with his robes caught. “This is not what Apollo would want. Besides, your robes are –”

“You know nothing, Graecus!” Octavian wrapped his hand around the release lever. “I must act before they get any higher. Only an onager such as this can make the shot. I will single-handedly –”

“Centurion,” said a voice behind them.

Another Roman stood there. He had a large red knot on his forehead and he stumbled as he walked.

“Michael!” Octavian shrieked with glee. “Excellent! Guard me while I fire this onager. Then we will kill these Graeci together!”

Michael took in the scene – his boss’s robes tangled in the trigger rope, Octavian’s jewellery fuming from proximity to the gold ammunition. He glanced up at the dragon, now high in the air, surrounded by rings of storm clouds like the circles of an archery target. Then he scowled at Nico.

“Are you certain, Octavian?” asked Michael.

Will blinked in shock. Why wasn’t Michael warning Octavian about his robes and jewellery?

“Yes!”

“Are you absolutely certain?”

“Yes, you fool! I will be remembered as the saviour of Rome. Now keep them away while I destroy Gaea!”

“Octavian, don’t,” Will pleaded. “We can’t allow you –”

“Will,” Nico said, “we can’t stop him.”

Nico’s word shocked Will. He stared at the son of Hades in disbelief. It was so unlike Nico to just give in like that.

Octavian’s eyes gleamed. “That’s right, son of Pluto. You are helpless to stop me! It is my destiny! Kahale, stand guard!”

“As you wish.” Michael moved in front of the machine, interposing himself between Octavian and the two Greek demigods. “Centurion, do what you must.”

Octavian turned to release the catch. “A good friend to the last.”

Will glanced at Nico who seemed to be having an internal war with himself. For some reason, Nico had decided that they had to let Octavian fire the onager. They had done their best to warn him even if he hadn’t listened. But if the onager hit Festus and Leo or Jason and Piper…

Will took a deep breath. He had to trust that Nico knew what he was doing.

“Goodbye, Gaea!” Octavian yelled. “Goodbye, Jason Grace the traitor!”

Octavian cut the release wire with his knife. And he disappeared.

The catapult arm sprang upward faster than Will’s eye could follow, launching Octavian along with the ammunition. The Roman’s scream faded until he was simply part of the fiery comet soaring skyward.

“Goodbye, Octavian,” Michael Kahale said.

He glared at Will and Nico one last time, as if daring them to speak. Then he turned his back and trudged away.

The comet kept gaining altitude. It disappeared into the storm clouds, and the sky exploded in a dome of fire.

Next to Will, Nico flinched. Will unfroze himself and turned to face Nico, but the son of Hades was already gone, disappeared back into the fighting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the last of the battle chapters. Coming up, we have the aftermath of the battle, the three days in the infirmary, and everything after that. Great stuff awaits us!


	46. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable sections from Blood of Olympus

The next day, there weren’t many answers.

After the explosion, Piper and Jason were plucked out of the sky by giant eagles and brought to safety, but Leo did not reappear. The entire Hephaestus cabin scoured the valley, finding bits and pieces of the Argo II’s broken hull, but no sign of Festus the dragon or Leo.

All the monsters had been destroyed or scattered. Greek and Roman casualties were heavy, but not nearly as bad as they might have been had they fought each other.

Overnight, the satyrs and nymphs disappeared into the woods for a convocation of the Cloven Elders. In the morning, Grover reappeared to announce that they could not sense the Earth Mother’s presence. Nature was more or less back to normal. Whatever Leo, Jason, and Piper did to defeat Gaea, it had worked.

Will got the official explanation at the counselor meeting the day after the battle.

Gaea had been separated from her source of power, charmed to sleep, and then atomized in the combined explosion of Leo’s fire and Octavian’s man-made comet.

An immortal could never die, but now Gaea would be like her husband, Ouranos. The earth would continue to function as normal, just as the sky did, but Gaea was now so dispersed and powerless that she could never again form a consciousness.

At least, that was the hope…

Octavian would be remembered for saving Rome by hurling himself into the sky in a fiery ball of death. But it was Leo Valdez who had made the real sacrifice.

The victory celebration at camp was muted, due to grief – not just for Leo but also for the many others who had died in battle. Shrouded demigods, both Greek and Roman, were burned at the campfire, and Chiron asked Nico to oversee the burial rites.

Will felt like he was back in the days after the Titan war. He was stuck in the infirmary taking care of the wounded Greek and Roman demigods with his siblings. It helped to have some of the Roman children of Apollo to take off some of the work, but still. Will was only able to leave the infirmary to grab a quick lunch, go to a counselor meeting if there was one, to go to the funerals, or at the end of his shift and that was to go to sleep and wake up to do it all over again the next day.

He kept seeing Nico around camp even though he had said that he would be leaving after the war. Although, maybe he was only staying for one of the Roman demigods Hazel who Will learned was a daughter of Pluto and Nico’s half-sister.

The second day since the battle, Romans and Greeks worked side by side to clean up the warzone and keep tending to the wounded.

“I had to turn them back,” Lou Ellen complained to Will and Cecil. The latter of whom Lou Ellen had dragged into the infirmary to chat with Will as he attended to brutal arrow wounds, sword wounds, partially severed limbs, and a few broken bones and mild concussions.

“Turn who back?” Will asked absently as he wrapped the arm of a daughter of Venus.

“My pigs!” Lou Ellen said. “The Romans I turned into pigs.”

The daughter of Venus gave a tiny squeak and glanced at Lou Ellen in fear.

Will sighed. He finished wrapping her arm, then pushed Lou Ellen and Cecil off to a less crowded area. “Please don’t alarm my patients.”

“Whatever,” Lou Ellen said. “I miss my pigs.”

Cecil rolled his eyes. “Will cares just as much as I do. That is to say, neither of us care about your pigs, Lou. Just… I dunno, turn some leaves into pigs.”

Lou Ellen shot him a dirty look. “I can’t do that. Do you know how horrible the nature spirits would treat me for the next few months?” She rolled her eyes and turned to Will. “So. How’s Nico? He hasn’t left yet so I assume you chained him down till he swore to stay at Camp.”

“Haha,” Will said sarcastically. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been a little busy. Matter of fact, I need to be getting back to my job of making sure no one dies of their injuries.”

Lou Ellen’s question struck a chord with Will though. He’d like to think that somehow Nico understood that Will didn’t mind him and actually wanted to be friends, but Will had yet to talk to Nico because he had been so busy in the infirmary. Nico hadn’t come by the infirmary to say hi either.

“Will!” Kayla hollored. “Someone set off one of the landmines the Stolls set. Can you go check it out?”

“On it!” Will called, grabbing a med kit and racing out of the infirmary.

.

By evening, the general mood had improved somewhat and things had calmed down enough for Will to go to dinner. The dining hall pavilion had never been so crowded. The Romans were welcomed like old friends.

Coach Hedge roamed among the demigods, beaming and holding his baby boy and saying, “Hey, you want to meet Chuck? This is my boy, Chuck!” The Aphrodite and Athena girls alike cooed over the feisty little satyr baby, who waved his pudgy fists, kicked his tiny hooves and bleated, “Baaaa! Baaaa!”

For his part, Will generally tried to avoid Coach Hedge and baby Chuck. Will could die happily if he never had to deliver another baby ever again.

Rachel joined Will at the Apollo table. “Hey. Glad to see you out and about. It was getting lonely here.”

“Been busy healing people,” Will shrugged. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

“I wanted to tell you something,” Rachel said. “I’ll be leaving with the Romans tomorrow. Ella and I are going to try and work out the Sibylline Books. I still can’t tell the future. These prophecies are going to be our best bets until whatever’s going on with Apollo is resolved.” She looked at Will curiously. “I don’t suppose you know?”

“Sorry,” Will said. He sighed. “I wish I knew, but…” He fell silent when Chiron stepped forwards and raised his goblet.

“Out of every tragedy,” he said, “comes new strength. Today, we thank the gods for this victory. To the gods!”

“To the gods,” Will and Rachel repeated alongside the other demigods.

Then Chiron said, “And to new friends!”

“TO NEW FRIENDS!” Hundreds of demigod voices echoed across the hills.

At the campfire, everyone kept looking at the stars, as if they expected Leo to come back in some dramatic, last-minute surprise. Maybe he’d swoop in, jump off Festus’s back and launch into corny jokes. It didn’t happen.

Near the end, Will got up. He had to get back to the infirmary and do last minute rounds before he went to bed. He walked back towards the infirmary to a lot of oooohhhs and cheers in response to whatever Praetors Reyna and Frank were saying.

When he looked back, he could see Reyna had pulled Nico out of the crowd and was giving him a hug. To Will’s utter surprise, Nico wasn’t fighting Reyna about it. In fact, he seemed to be hugging her back. He fought back the irritation that brought him and continued on his way towards the infirmary.

.

The next morning Will woke up much more refreshed than he had the previous day. The serious injuries had all been taken care of and it was less stressful all around. He got dressed for the third day of working in the infirmary. Green surgeon shirt and jeans plus flip-flops.

He walked out of the Apollo cabin.

In the distance, the Romans were picking up their gear and toting it across the hill. On the other side a fleet of black SUVs waited to transport the legion cross-country back to California.

Down at the far end of the cabins, in front of the Hades cabin, Jason Grace was squeezing Nico di Angelo in a hug. The son of Hades looked slightly uncomfortable and annoyed, but he allowed Jason to have his hug.

“Now or never, dude,” Austin said, coming out of the cabin and patting Will’s shoulder.

Will sent him a half-hearted glare. Then he took a deep breath and waved at Nico.

Nico glanced in Will’s direction.

Will gestured to Nico and pointed at the ground. He hoped Nico got his message.

Nico said something to Jason before slowly making his way down the row of cabins towards Will.

“So where were you?” Will demanded when Nico reached cabin seven.

Nico blinked. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“I’ve been stuck in the infirmary for, like, two days,” Will complained. “You don’t come by. You don’t offer to help.”

“I… what?” Nico gapped, looking truly confused. “Why would you want a son of Hades in the same room with people you’re trying to heal? Why would anyone want that?”

Will sighed in exasperation. Nico could  _ not  _ be this clueless.

“You can’t help out a friend?” Will asked. “Maybe cut bandages? Bring me a soda or a snack? Or just a simple  _ How’s it going Will? _ You don’t think I could stand to see a friendly face?”

“What… my face?”

“You’re so dense,” Will noted. “I hope you got over that nonsense about leaving Camp Half-Blood.”

Nico nodded. “I - yeah. I did. I mean, I’m staying.” He scowled at Will. Probably about the dense comment.

“Good. So you may be dense, but you’re not an idiot.”

“How can you even talk to me like that?” Nico asked. “Don’t you know I can summon zombies and skeletons and –”

“Right now you couldn’t summon a wishbone without melting into a puddle of darkness, di Angelo,” Will said. “I told you, no more Underworldy stuff, doctor’s orders. You owe me at least three days of rest in the infirmary. Starting now.”

He wasn’t sure where that came from. Nico really didn’t need to be spending time in the infirmary. He could rest just as fine in his own cabin and in his own bed, but Will wanted to get the chance to befriend Nico and if this was how he had to do it, then this would be how he’d do it. He prepared his argument to counter Nico’s probably protest.

“Three days?” Nico repeated. “I-I suppose that would be okay.”

Will smiled. “Good. Now-”

A loud whoop! cut through the air.

Over by the hearth in the centre of the common, Percy was grinning at something Annabeth had just told him. Annabeth laughed and playfully slapped his arm.

“I’ll be right back,” Nico told Will. “Promise on the Styx and everything.” He walked over to Percy and Annabeth, who were both still grinning like crazy.

Will watched with a bemused look. He had no idea what Nico was doing, but Percy looked confused and surprised while Annabeth seemed to find Percy’s emotions amusing. She gave Nico a high-five before Nico walked back towards Will.

“What was that about?” Will asked Nico.

Nico hesitated. “Nothing. Just had to do something before I forgot.”

It wasn’t the truth, not the whole truth at least, but Will could tell Nico didn’t really want to talk about whatever it was he had to do.

“Well, welcome to the infirmary,” Will said, spreading his arms when they arrived. He led Nico over to one of the empty beds. “You’ll be staying here for the duration of your stay.” He thought he saw the ghost of a smile appear on Nico’s face for a split second.

“Excellent,” Nico muttered, smile gone.

Will crossed his arms. “Don’t be so down about it. I’ll be here to keep you company.” He faltered, hoping he wasn’t pushing Nico too much. “I mean, if you want.”

Nico didn’t say anything which Will took as he didn’t oppose Will’s presence.

Will cleared his throat. “Right. Uh, anyway. You’re going to have to fill out some information. You haven’t been injured here or stayed at Camp long enough to fill it out.” He grabbed a clipboard and pen. “It’s just some basic information about you and your medical history,” Will explained. “I can go through it with you if you want.”

Nico took the clipboard and scanned it. He seemed to be mulling something over. “Okay. Um, Will? I…” he took a breath. “My birthday and age don’t match up. I… I mean, they do. I meant my physical age.”

“What do you mean?”

Nico’s eyes darted around like he was looking for an exit. “My father put my sister and I in this hotel for… a while. You don’t age and time passes quickly.”

Will blinked. “So you’re older than you look?”

“You could say that,” Nico said with a faint smile. “I was born in 1928. At least, I think so. It’s hard to be sure.”

To say that Will was shocked was an understatement.

“1928?” he repeated. “Huh. Not what I was expecting. Um, do you remember your last doctor’s visit?”

Nico tilted his head. “When I was ten maybe? So 1938, give or take a year.”

Will closed his eyes and pinched his nose. “Are you afraid of needles?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a lot of... how shall we put this? Discrepancies? Surrounding Nico's rather unique timeline. MY timeline puts him at being born January of 1928 so that's what I will be going with.
> 
> Interestingly enough, the scene in House of Hades where Nico says in 1938 when he was six he went to Diocletian's Palace can be twisted to fit MY timeline with him being eight years old and it happening in 1936. I kinda like that because Nico's memory isn't perfect due to his dip in the Lethe.
> 
> Anyway, I feel for poor Nico right now. I do not like needles. At. All. But I love fics where Will finds out that Nico is several decades behind on vaccinations.
> 
> Speaking of which, I did extensive research on the history of vaccinations so I can give you an accurate list of all the vaccines Nico would have missed out on assuming he was up to date on everything prior to 1938 which would be when he was placed in the Lotus Casino Hotel. That'll be in the next chapter, but holy crap I had no idea how many shots there are that everybody has to get. I think there's like twenty or so that you've received by the time you're fourteen (Nico's age in this) and that's not counting the flu shot every year. And there would be a few more if they didn't have some of them combine in one now. Like wow. Alright. Enough of that for now.


	47. Day One

If there was a prize for the most idiotic demigod ever, Nico di Angelo probably would win it.

Will had managed to figure out how out-of-date Nico was on vaccinations and was all geared up to start giving Nico the most important ones first, but in the process of attempting to do so, Will discovered that there was a poorly bandaged wound on Nico’s arm. A wound that turned out to be a week old werewolf scratch. Will practically hit the roof.

“When were you going to mention this, di Angelo?” he shouted.

Nico shrugged. “Reyna patched me up.”

“Reyna…” Will muttered. He took a deep breath. “Is Reyna a trained healer?”

“No,” Nico answered. “Are you?”

Will ignored the question. “So then Reyna doesn’t know how to properly treat these kinds of wounds does she?”

“Fine,” Nico sighed. “Why don’t you treat it since you can do such a better job.”

Will didn’t say anything as he unwrapped the messy bandage. He studied the wound.

“Well, it’s not infected,” he finally said. “I would say that the only reason it's still so bad is because you kept overexerting yourself.”

“I’m sorry, did you want us to take our time getting the statue to camp?”

Will gave Nico an unimpressed look. “I didn’t mean it like that. Of course I’m glad you got the statue here in time. It should heal a lot faster now that you’ll be resting the next three days.” He frowned. “I won’t be able to give you any vaccines until it does though. Since you said you were put into the… Lotus Casino? Lotus Casino roughly around 1938, you’ll probably have gotten the vaccinations for pertussis and diphtheria. Tetanus came out in 1938, so I don’t know about that one. I’d give it to you anyway, but you’re only supposed to take it every ten years and ambrosia or nectar will take care of that easily enough.” He offered Nico a sympathetic smile. “So the ones you will need are for polio, measles, mups, rubella, hib, hepatitis A and B, varicella, pneumococcal, influenza, rotavirus, adenovirus, anthrax, cholera, HPV, Japanese encephalitis, meningococcal, rabies, shingles, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, yellow fever, and smallpox.”

Nico blinked. “I understood none of that. I mean, I know what smallpox is, but everything else is… new.”

Will grinned. “Not really, but okay. Uh, measles, mumps, and rubella are combined in one which is called MMR, so this is a grand total of 21 vaccines you need.”

“Why do I need these?”

“Because they prevent you from getting sick,” Will explained. “If we didn’t get vaccinated, we’d be wasting nectar and ambrosia on healing something that we wouldn’t need to heal if you had gotten the vaccine.”

“Right,” Nico said, face clearly showing that he did not understand at all. His eyes locked on something behind Will.

“Am I interrupting?”

Will turned to see Reyna standing there. “No, sorry. Did you need something?”

“Just wanted to say goodbye to Nico before we leave,” Reyna said, looking past Will at Nico. “You’re staying then? Good. Just don’t forget to visit.”

“As long as he doesn’t shadow travel,” Will muttered under his breath.

The corners of Reyna’s mouth twitched upward. “Yes, no more shadow traveling long distances for a while.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Bye, Reyna.”

Reyna gave him a small smile and turned to leave. Before she was gone, she turned around. “Oh, by the way, Hazel’s outside. I’ll send her in.”

Will glanced at Nico. “I’ll let you talk to Hazel. I should go check on the others anyway.”

Nico nodded silently.

On his way to the other side of the infirmary, Will passed Hazel Levesque. She looked and acted nothing like Nico. She was more like his exact opposite.

Where Nico had dark hair and pale skin, Hazel had light hair and dark skin. Nico rarely smiled, and Hazel was rarely without a smile.

Will reached Kayla on the far end of the infirmary. She grinned when he arrived.

“Don’t say a word,” Will grumbled.

“I wasn’t going to,” Kayla protested. “How’s Nico? You looked a little frustrated for a moment.”

Will opened his mouth to explain, but he paused. Until today, he had no idea about Nico’s past. He wasn’t even sure if anyone else knew about Nico’s past. Will was as close to a doctor as you were going to get at Camp. He followed the same rules as doctors did. One of which was doctor-patient confidentiality.

Nico trusted Will to know that he wasn’t from this era. Even if he told Will because he thought he was obligated to, Nico wasn’t obligated to share that with the whole camp until he wanted to. Will wouldn’t say a word until Nico gave the okay.

“He’s just a little behind on vaccines,” Will finally said. “I mean, he’s been living on his own since he ran away from camp. That’s three or four years of vaccines to make up. I’d give them to him now, but he’s got these werewolf scratches that I have to heal first. Scratches he neglected to mention until I found them.”

Kayla nodded. “Right. But if I had a patient who had the same scratches, I’d pour nectar on them, bandage it up, send them on their merry way, and have them check in with me every day. You didn’t know about the scratches until now. So why is Nico here?”

“He needs rest from shadow traveling halfway across the world,” Will said.

“He could rest in his own cabin,” Kayla pointed out. “Or just take it easy around camp. Give him a doctor’s note excusing him from training.”

“Yeah, but then I wouldn’t get to see him,” Will said without thinking. “It’s been two days and he hasn’t even stopped to say hi.” His eyes widened and he covered his mouth.

Kayla stiffed a laugh. “I love you, Will. You’re my brother. But you have finally come very close to admitting something I have known for at least a year. You. Like. Nico. Di Angelo.”

Will glanced back at the bed Nico occupied. He was talking to Hazel and looked very relaxed. He wasn’t smiling, but he looked content to be with his sister.

Will turned back to face Kayla. “Maybe a little,” he admitted.

“Praise the gods,” Kayla said dramatically. “He admits it. Now you just have to befriend di Angelo and get him to like you back.”

“You make that sound so simple,” Will said, raising an eyebrow. “He…”

Suddenly it hit Will. Nico was from the 1930s. He was also Italian and as of last December, he admitted to being born and raised in Italy. If Will had his history right, that meant Nico grew up in facist Italy. And facist Italy had very different ideals than modern America. Even modern America had vastly different ideals than 1930s America.

“I have to check on the rest of the injuries,” Will said abruptly, not caring that he left Kayla with a bewildering case of whiplash.

.

Will decided that Nico probably wouldn’t think that he was wanted at Camp if Will started avoiding him. Especially considering Will had confessed to Nico that he thought of them as friends. He stopped by Nico’s bed with lunch.

“Hungry?” Will asked.

Nico glanced at the food. “Is it lunchtime?”

“Well, it’s noon, and usually people eat lunch around then,” Will said cheerfully. “So. You hungry?”

Nico hesitantly took a small bowl of fruit. Will frowned slightly, but didn’t say anything. He pulled a chair next to Nico’s bed and grabbed a sandwich for himself. They ate in silence, and finished at the same time.

“Do you want anything else?” Will asked.

“I’m not that hungry,” Nico shrugged. “I don’t need to eat a lot.”

“Well, actually you do,” Will pointed out. “You need food to give you energy which will help your body heal faster.”

Nico’s expression turned very guarded. “I’m full.”

Will closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He opened his eyes and looked at Nico. “If there’s something you should be telling me, you should tell me. Are you allergic to something? Do you feel like you’re going to be sick?”

“It’s not that,” Nico sighed. “I just  _ can’t _ eat anymore. I’m not… used to it.”

Will’s eyes flickered down to Nico’s skinny form. He almost smacked himself when he realized it. Nico wasn’t eating a lot because he wasn’t used to eating large meals. If Nico spent more time roaming the country or in the Underworld than at either camp, he might not have had a regular eating schedule.

It was something Will saw more often in the demigods that ran away from home before finding their way to Camp. Homeless and living on the streets, they didn’t know when or where they would get a scrap of food, so when they reached camp, they couldn’t eat too much or they would get sick.

Before Will could say anything, Nico continued.

“How much  _ did _ Coach Hedge say about me anyway?”

Will shrugged. “Just told me about your shadow traveling. How you almost faded away and all that. We didn’t exactly have time to compare notes. I had to rush to a counselor meeting and I just delivered baby Chuck,” he said with a shudder. “Why?”

“I told the Seven where the Doors of Death were located,” Nico said.

Will gave him a strange look. “Yeah. I know that. Annabeth’s note to Rachel said that you told them about the Doors. They found you on the quest, right?”

Nico was quiet. He tapped his fingers against the empty bowl of fruit nervously. “After Percy arrived at Camp Jupiter, I decided to leave. I couldn’t risk triggering his memories too early and at that point, I wasn’t sure how long Hera was planning on keeping his memories locked up. I decided to try to locate the Doors of Death since P- the Seven would need to know where they were.”

Will was confused. It was nice that Nico was talking to him, but he didn’t understand why Nico was sharing this.

“I’m a son of Hades, so I’m pretty much one of the only demigods who can wander around the Underworld without consequences,” Nico continued. He seemed to be lost in a memory. “I thought that rule applied to me no matter where I went.” He glanced at Will. “I was wrong.”

Will frowned. “You were wrong? I don’t understand. Where did you-” he cut himself off.

Nico kept up his story in Will’s silence. “It was too strong,” he said quietly. “It pulled me in. I didn’t last very long before the giants captured me. They brought me through the Doors and took me to Rome.” He started turning the bowl over in his hands. “The giants kept me in this bronze jar for days. I used my step-mother’s pomegranate seeds to put myself in a Death Trance so I could stay alive. Percy and the others rescued me,” Nico said. “I told them about the Doors. I haven’t been able to eat as much since then.”

Gods of Olympus. Nico had been in Tartarus too. He had been sucked in only to be captured by giants and stuffed in a jar where he starved himself. After that, he had embarked on a dangerous and demanding quest to bring the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood.

“That’s okay,” Will said, once the initial shock wore off. “You don’t have to eat a lot right now. I get it.”

Nico nodded slowly. “Don’t… tell anyone. I don’t need another reason to be-”

“Hailed a hero?” Will suggested.

“I was going to say different,” Nico said flatly.

“Nico, can we talk?” Percy Jackson’s voice said.

Will and Nico looked up. Percy looked nervous and upset.

“It’s fine, Percy,” Nico said. “I told you I’m over it. You don’t owe me anything.”

“Yeah I do,” Percy said, glancing at Will.

Will got the message. “I’ll just go.”

“So? Will Solace?” he heard Percy ask Nico as he walked away.

“No,” Nico said to Percy.

When Will was out of earshot, he glanced back at them. Percy appeared to be apologizing while Nico looked exasperated. Then his face turned a light pink based on something Percy said. Nico made a shooing gesture at Percy who laughed and waved goodbye as he left.

“Did that have anything to do with whatever you told Percy earlier?” Will asked Nico when he returned to the side of the son of Hades.

Nico ignored him.

“Uh, you like mythomagic, right?” Will tried.

Nico’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know that? I mean, yeah, I  _ used _ to play.” He eyed Will suspiciously. “How did you know that?” he asked again.

“I remember,” Will shrugged. “When you first came to Camp. You talked about that game all the time.” He smiled a little at the memory. “Cecil came to me complaining about how you were annoying. I didn’t believe him. That’s actually the first time we met.”

.

_ “Your dad’s Apollo?” Nico asked Will with wide eyes. “His sun chariot is so cool! Have you gotten to ride in it? Does he let you drive it? Does he really have plus 30 health and 2000 defense?” _

_ Will stared at the young boy. “Um, what?” _

_ “Aren’t you supposed to be at sword practice?” Cecil interrupted. _

_ Nico’s face brightened. “I can’t wait. And I don’t have practice for ten more minutes. Do we really get to kill people?” _

_ "No!" Cecil yelped. "No! Just... no." _

_ “Good luck,” Will said awkwardly. _

_ “Thanks!” Nico beamed. _

_ When they left the Hermes cabin, Will turned to Cecil who had an ‘I told you so’ look on his face. _

_ “Yeah, he’s probably the most annoying kid I’ve ever met,” Will agreed. _

.

Nico tilted his head. “Was that you? I do remember a son of Apollo.” His face turned red. “I asked about Apollo’s health and defense. Oh my gods. How do you remember that? I didn’t think anyone at Camp remembered me from the first time.”

“You disappeared after a week under mysterious circumstances,” Will said. “Plus, you kinda changed dramatically throughout that week. I was curious.”

“I had a dream about my sister,” Nico said, voice wavering. “Bianca. She went on the quest to save Artemis and Annabeth. I didn’t really understand what was happening to me. I was starting to sense things and then I had that dream about her dying. Then Percy came back and told me what happened and those skeletons attacked and I was so confused and angry.” His lips twitched. “Broke the dining pavilion. Oops.”

“That  _ was _ you!” Will gapped. “I knew it. There was just something not right about Percy’s story. He said he caused an earthquake because he was mad you left.”

“Percy didn’t want Luke or Kronos finding out who my dad was,” Nico explained.

Will nodded. “Did you travel the country then? I’ve always been at Camp since I was ten. Never left. Well, I’ve left a few times, but I’ve never been on a real quest or gone sightseeing.”

“I found the Labyrinth,” Nico said. His shoulders were relaxed and Will was happy Nico was opening up to him. “I didn’t know it at the time though. A ghost found me. Minos. He helped me navigate the Labyrinth and taught me how to use my powers.” Nico scowled darkly. “He also taught me that most specters only hold as much power as you allow them to. Turns out he was only using my powers to get revenge on Daedalus.” He glanced at Will like he thought Will had gotten up to run away as fast as he could.

Will was utterly fascinated by Nico’s story though. “You miss out on a lot when you stay at Camp all year I guess. I’ve never left on any crazy adventure, so… no crazy experiences from me.”

The corners of Nico’s mouth turned upwards into a small smile. “I guess you do.” He yawned.

Will jumped up. “Sorry. You’re tired. I’ll let you sleep. I’ll bring you dinner later. More fruit?”

“Yeah,” Nico said, rubbing his face. “Um, thanks, Solace.”

Will smiled brightly. “No problem, di Angelo.”

Nico lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. Will almost imagined that Nico hadn’t been through Tartarus or hadn’t been shadow-traveling a statue for the past couple weeks. The son of Hades looked so peaceful and content as he slept.

Kayla and Austin dragged Will away.

“Come on, lover boy,” Kayla muttered. “Don’t be a creeper.”

Will sputtered. “I was not being a creeper.”

“You were watching Nico di Angelo sleep,” Austin pointed out. “That is actually very creepy regardless of who it is you’re watching sleep.”

“I was thinking about how peaceful he looks when he’s asleep,” Will hissed. “Shut up.”

“You were talking for a long time,” Austin noted.

Will smiled. “Well, I got him to open up a little. It’s a start.”

“What’s a start?” Lou Ellen’s voice cut in. She and Cecil stood behind Will, Kayla, and Austin.

“How’s it going, docs?” Cecil asked.

Kayla beamed. “I finally got Will to admit it.”

Will turned bright red. “Seriously, Kayla?”

“About Nico?” Lou Ellen questioned. “Because if so, praise the gods!”

“‘Maybe a little’ was his exact wording,” Kayla snickered. She patted Will’s back. “Go get some rest so you’re awake for your dinner date.”

“It’s not a dinner date,” Will protested weakly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww. That was day one in the infirmary. Hope y'all liked my brief lecture on shots. I got all that info from the CDC's list of vaccines used in the United States as well as their list of what ages you're recommended to get certain shots at. I learned a lot tbh. I don't remember the website, but I also found like a timeline of when all the different shots were introduced. Like in this decade, this shot and this shot existed. And then in the next decade, you got this shot and this shot along with the shots from the previous decade. And then do you remember those three shots? Well, not we've combined them into one so people only have to get one shot instead of three.
> 
> The more you know, am I right?


	48. Day Two

“Why aren’t you afraid of me?”

The question caught Will by surprise and he almost spilled the bottle of nectar he was carefully pouring over Nico’s arm.

“Huh?” Will asked with a frown.

Nico rolled his eyes. “Why aren’t you afraid of me? I mean. I know you said I can’t…” he paused, trying to think of the words. “I can’t summon a wishbone or whatever, but once I can summon a whole army… Why aren’t you afraid of that?”

“I dunno,” Will shrugged. “You just aren’t that scary, di Angelo.”

Nico did not look amused.

“I think it’s cool,” Will added. “I saw you raise that army when we were fighting those monsters from the Labyrinth. I had no idea who you were until later, but I was impressed. And you did save the day during the Battle of Manhattan. Anyway, like I said before. Plenty of people want to be your friend. You just have to let them.”

“Yeah, well, it’s my fault Leo died,” Nico said, glaring at the bedsheets. “I don’t think anyone wants to be friends with someone like that.”

It occurred to Will that maybe Nico hadn’t been staying away from him because he didn’t want friends or because he didn’t think he needed healing, but that he was staying away because he thought Will would blame him for what happened to Leo.

“Octavian killed Leo,” Will said shortly. “Not you. I mean, I could have easily ignored you and tried to stop Octavian. But I didn’t. So don’t go blaming yourself for this.” He hesitated. “There was something I wanted to ask you. About what Octavian said. And something you said actually. You’ve been to the Roman camp?”

Nico’s eyes flitted away. “I have. So have Percy and Annabeth and Jason and Piper and Leo and Frank and Hazel and Coach Hedge. Why?”

Will made a mental note that Nico got defensive easily.

“I was just curious.”

Nico took a while to respond. “My father sent me. When the summer ended after the Titan war, I went to the Underworld for a while. I had heard about the Doors of Death being chained and Thanatos trapped.” He bit his lip. “I was going to bring my sister back.”

Bianca di Angelo. The girl that had joined the Hunters of Artemis and gone on a quest only to die along the way. The reason Nico had left Camp the first time.

“She chose rebirth,” Nico said with an unreadable expression. “So I couldn’t bring her back. My father found me and told me about the Romans. Made me swear on the Styx not to tell anyone until they already knew about the Romans. He pointed me towards Hazel and told me to bring her to Camp Jupiter. She joined the legion, and I became my father’s ambassador.”

“Was it strange seeing Percy, but him not remembering you?” Will asked.

Nico let out a breath. “Very. But also… relieving. I mean, I don’t know what I would have done if he knew who I was. Like I said, I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone about either camp.” He shook his head. “I was pretty panicked for a second when I saw him though. The last time we had seen each other was back in August before he left for the school year. I wouldn’t say we left on bad terms, but…” he trailed off, looking away from Will.

“I can guarantee you I’ve left people on worse terms that you have,” Will said sheepishly. “I came to Camp when I was ten. Like the day of my tenth birthday. I had a few friends in the neighborhood I lived in. I don’t really remember their names anymore. I just left with my satyr and I haven’t been back since. No goodbyes or anything.”

Nico shifted slightly. Maybe that was too close to what he had done.

“My mom sent me letters from them,” Will continued, “but I didn’t answer. I guess I was just too caught up in everything.”

“Is this supposed to be an intervention or something?” Nico asked, raised eyebrows. “Is the hidden message for me not to run away? Because I’m planning on staying. Don’t worry about that.”

Will shrugged. “I didn’t really plan it like that. And I trust you.”

“Finally!” someone shouted.

Will turned around to glare at the person for shouting, but abruptly changed his expression to confusion when he saw a perfectly healthy Jason Grace running towards him and Nico.

“Have you been in here since yesterday?” Jason demanded. “I thought you left! I didn’t see you at all yesterday and Reyna and Hazel said they had said goodbye to you and I started thinking maybe that meant  _ you _ left, not them.”

Nico looked exasperated. “I  _ said _ I was staying. Gods, who are you? My mother?”

Jason glanced at Nico’s arm Will realized he hadn’t rebandaged. His eyes bulged out of his head. “What the Hades?” he yelled. “Nico!”

“It’s just a scratch, Jason,” Nico grumbled. “Honestly.”

“It is not just a scratch,” Will and Jason said at the same time.

Nico let out a breath and let his head fall back. “There’s two of you.”

Jason looked at Will. “What’s this?” he asked, gesturing to the wound.

“Apparently, Nico and Reyna and Coach Hedge were attacked by Lycaon during their adventure,” Will said. “And apparently, Nico didn’t think it was important enough to come in sooner. The only reason I found out about it is because I told him he had to spend at least three days here to heal from all the shadow traveling he did.”

Jason gave Nico a look. “Come on, dude. At least you had Coach Hedge and his nature sports medicine.”

“Probably the only reason I haven’t amputated your arm,” Will agreed.

“Seriously, what did Coach say about me? It’s not even that bad!” Nico protested. “It’s almost healed. Look,” he said, holding up his arm to show the forming scar. “It’s practically just a scar now.”

Jason ignored him. “Anyway, Percy said he talked to you. He didn’t say about what, but I kinda figured what it was. I’m proud of you.”

Nico rolled his eyes, but his cheeks were flushed a light pink. “Glad I have your validation, Grace.” He paused. “How’s the temple thing going?”

“Temple thing?” Will asked.

Jason’s eyes lit up. “Oh yeah! So on the quest I promised this goddess Kym that I would help the minor gods and goddesses get the recognition they deserve. Percy started it last summer and now you guys build cabins for the children of the minor gods, but I guess I’m continuing what he started.” He looked pleased with himself. “I’ll be going between the camps and across the country building and designing shrines. I’ve already started making a few plans and writing down some ideas. I think I’ll work on it throughout the rest of the summer and the school year. Once school is over, I’ll start the actual construction.”

“That sounds cool,” Will said. “I never really thought about that. I mean, you’re right. If we don’t have a cabin for some kid’s godly parent, we build one for that god, but not all of them have kids. This is really great, Jason. Good luck with it.”

Jason grinned. “I just hope I don’t wake up one morning to dirt or snails in my sheets. I want these shrines to be perfect.”

“Let me know when you start construction,” Nico said. “The dead are surprisingly good builders.”

“Not happening,” Will said.

Nico’s mouth fell open. “It’s next  _ summer _ ,” he said. “If you want to keep me from doing any  _ ‘Underworld-y’ _ stuff for a few weeks, that’s fine but if I can’t do anything next year, I have a problem with that.”

“Rephrase. In your  _ current _ condition,” Will corrected, “it’s not happening. If I had to guess right now, I would say that you won’t be able to shadow travel long distances for a while, but in a few weeks to a few months, you’ll probably be back to summoning legions of skeletons.” He thought for a moment. “Just in time for Halloween.”

Nico tilted his head. “Halloween?”

Both Jason and Will blinked. “You don’t know what Halloween is?”

“Should I?” Nico frowned. “I’m not exactly… from now.”

Will smacked his forehead. “Right. I don’t know if Italy celebrated Halloween then.” He tried to think of how to explain Halloween. “Well, basically, you get dressed up in a costume. Then you go around to houses and ask for candy.”

“And you decorate pumpkins,” Jason added. “Most of the decorations are scary with ghosts, skeletons, zombies, bats, vampires, things like that.”

Nico’s eyes looked between Jason and Will a few times. “That sounds potentially dangerous. It’s okay to go to a random stranger’s house and demand candy from them?”

“Adults buy bags of candy for this,” Will explained. “If you’re handing out candy, you leave your porch lights on. If you aren’t, you turn them off. And a lot of times there’s police cars driving around to make sure no one gets abducted or whatever you were thinking.”

“Why would you buy candy for random people though?” Nico asked. “I would just keep the candy for myself.”

“It’s a fun holiday, Nico,” Jason complained. “We’ll celebrate it this year.”

“We celebrate it at Camp,” Will offered. “Mostly for the little kids. The other holidays too. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day…” he shrugged. “I don’t know why because those are almost all Christian holidays, but I’m not complaining. Who doesn’t like presents and gift-giving?”

Nico crossed his arms. “I hate Valentine’s Day.”

Jason sighed. “Me too. But Piper might kill me if I skip out on that one.”

Will decided not to question the mutual dislike of the holiday about love. Neither Jason or Nico looked particularly eager to explain. He stood up.

“I have to go,” Will said. “I have a break and Cecil and Lou Ellen are going to drag me out of here if I don’t meet up with them.”

“I’ll stay here and keep Nico company then,” Jason said cheerfully.

“Great,” Nico sighed.

.

“Look who finally left the infirmary,” Cecil said when Will walked over to when he and Lou Ellen were chatting. “How’s the stalker doing?”

Will frowned. “Nico? He’s not a stalker.”

“He means you,” Lou Ellen rolled her eyes. She shoved Cecil’s shoulder. “Stop teasing him. He finally admitted what we all knew. Anyway, while you and your siblings were busy healing the injured, Chiron and Reyna and Frank were talking. They’re going to be organizing a day for us to go see the Roman camp since most of the Romans have already seen our camp when they tried to, you know, kill us.”

“Imagine a mortal overhearing that,” Will said. “They might be concerned.”

Lou Ellen went over the sentence in her head. “Eh,” she shrugged. “Not the craziest thing they could hear. But about that trip. You two better be going because I definitely want to go.”

“I’ll go,” Cecil offered. “I think it would be cool too. Did you know they have this city for older demigods?”

“Reyna and Frank said they might be opening the chance to live there to us Greeks!” Lou Ellen said excitedly. “I think Percy and Annabeth are planning on going.”

“It would be nice to have a safe place to live,” Will nodded. “And I want to see this Camp too. When do they think it’ll be?”

“End of the month before school starts up,” Lou Ellen answered. “Actually, we might be there during your birthday.”

“Birthday at Camp Jupiter,” Will snorted. “Just what I wanted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of day two!
> 
> I love mother hen Jason. And no I wasn't bawling while I wrote out Jason's plans for the shrines, why would you think that? *runs off, hiding tears*
> 
> Fun fact: Italy began celebrating Halloween in 1993. I Googled it. So unfortunately, Nico would not actually know what a yummy and sugary holiday it is. Plus, he spent a while living in the Labyrinth and the Underworld, and I highly doubt they celebrate Halloween in either locale.
> 
> Okay, so there's no way Jason or Nico could ever possibly look at Valentine's Day the same way ever again. I firmly believe that. They aren't going to completely avoid the holiday, I don't think either of them would let stupid Cupid get in the way of enjoying a day with their respective significant others, but I do believe that there will always be that underlying darkness surrounding the holiday for them. Just my opinion though.
> 
> Also, I love reading holiday fics with the Seven, Nico, Will, Reyna, and Calypso, but as I was writing down that Camp celebrates holidays I realized that all those holidays celebrate some Christian figure. But I figure, it's a free country. If you want to celebrate a Christian holiday even though you believe in the Greeks gods... that's totally cool. You can do that. Besides, even if you don't believe in that, Christmas and Easter are still good reasons to get together with family.
> 
> And now that I have written a whole story for this note, I will let you guys go.


	49. Day Three

“Last day, di Angelo,” Will said.

“Finally,” Nico said.

Will gave him an unimpressed look. “Thank you, Will,” he said, trying to mimic Nico’s voice. “You healed my scratches and are helping me get caught up on my vaccines so I don’t drop dead of a totally curable disease. You’re welcome, Nico,” he said, voice back to normal.

“That was terrible,” Nico noted. “I sound nothing like that.”

“Whatever,” Will said. “You can leave at dinner time.”

Nico sighed. “Let me guess. I have to actually go to dinner.”

“And the campfire,” Will said cheerfully. “You can sit with me if you want.”

Nico didn’t say anything for a while. Then, “Yeah, okay.”

Will beamed. “Great. I have a question. What’s it like living in a whole other century?”

“Honestly, I don’t even remember,” Nico shrugged. “My father had my sister and I dipped in the Lethe before he put us in the Lotus Hotel. I can remember some things now, but mostly all the stuff I remember is how to speak Italian and the rest is just… I don’t know. I remember feelings, I guess.”

“Feelings?”

“Like fear and confusion,” Nico said. “Mussolini was allied with Hitler and they were about to start a war. No one really knew what was going to happen. I remember that much.” He frowned. “I guess it’s a little disorienting too. For me, that happened four years ago. But really it was seventy years ago when the war ended.” He looked a little embarrassed talking about it. “Plus, you know, things were a lot different than they are right now.”

He didn’t explain anything about that, but Will could guess a lot of things were different. The clothes, the language, the technology. Any friends Nico might have had were also either old or dead at this point. The world had changed while Nico and his sister hadn’t aged a day inside the Hotel.

“Do you still have family?” Will asked curiously. “Other than your mom and sister. Like your first cousin twice removed or something.”

Nico shrugged. “My mother was an only child as far as I know. Doesn’t really matter though, does it? I wouldn’t exactly be able to explain how I exist. I guess if I said I was my own grandson or something, but…” he trailed off. “I don’t know. I never really thought about looking into my family.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, not really sure what to talk about.

“Lou Ellen and Cecil told me that Chiron, Reyna, and Frank are going to organize a trip to Camp Jupiter around the end of the month,” Will said. “Are you going to go? I mean, you’ve already seen it, but…”

“I promised my sister I’d visit her,” Nico shrugged. “So I guess I’d go. Jason would probably tell me I have to,” he mused. “I’d rather shadow-”

“Not happening,” Will scowled. “You’re not exactly in a condition to do that right now. Besides, it will probably be a cross country trip in a bus. You’ll miss out on monster killing.”

“You know, for some reason I’m okay with that,” Nico grinned. “I’ve had my fill of monster killing for like another few months at least.”

“Hi, Nico,” Lou Ellen said cheerfully, wandering towards Nico’s bed. She waved at Will. “Hey, Will.”

Cecil was with her. He greeted them with a smile.

“Hey,” Will said, confused. “What are you guys doing here?”

Lou Ellen ignored him and looked at Nico. “Well, you see. Will has decided that the two of you are friends. Since Will is our friend, we’ve made the executive decision that by default, you’re now our friend too.”

Nico looked at them with a slightly amused expression, but also in surprise. He tilted his head and looked at Will. “Friends?”

Will let out an exasperated breath. “Of course I’m your friend Death Boy-”

“Don’t call me that.”

“-I mean, did you think I was just sitting here just because?”

“Well, no, but-”

“But nothing,” Will said. “We’re friends. I told you there were people who wanted to be your friend. Remember?”

“Right. As long as I don’t make you deliver anymore baby satyrs,” Nico said with a small smile.

Will shuddered as Lou Ellen and Cecil laughed.

“It’s not funny,” he complained.

“It’s hilarious,” Cecil snorted. “Travis and Connor have been putting in a good word about you with all the couples.”

Nico covered what Will was positive was a smirking mouth with his hand.

“Anyway,” Lou Ellen said, changing the subject. “Did Will tell you about the trip to Camp Jupiter? Are you going?”

“I’ll probably go,” Nico nodded. “Reyna and Hazel made me promise to visit sometime.”

“Hazel’s the one that can use the Mist, right?” Lou Ellen asked eagerly. “I heard that she learned how on the quest.”

A small, proud smile made its way across Nico’s face. “Yeah. That’s Hazel. She saved us a few times by manipulating the Mist.”

Cecil and Lou Ellen looked interested. Even Will had to admit he was curious to know what had gone on during the quest.

“Can you tell us about the quest?” Cecil asked. “I mean, we heard all the stories, but no one’s gone into too much detail yet.”

Nico shrugged. “I suppose I could. I’m not going anywhere,” he added with an unamused look in Will’s direction.

“I said you could leave at dinner time,” Will said defensively.

“Whatever,” Nico rolled his eyes. “I met up with the Seven in Rome and went with them to find Annabeth.”

Will noted that he was careful to skip over the Tartarus and bronze jar ordeal.

“When we got to her, Leo and Frank got the Athena Parthenos onto the Argo II,” Nico continued. “I told the rest of them where the Doors of Death were located.” He fell silent. “You know what happened with Percy and Annabeth. Percy… he made me promise to lead the others to Epirus to close the Doors. Hazel met Hecate while we were on our way.”

Lou Ellen sighed wistfully. “I’ve only met my mom twice.”

“She told Hazel that she had to learn how to use the Mist before we reached the House of Hades in Epirus,” Nico said. “She ended up tricking Sciron into thinking that he had kicked Jason off the cliff and into the mouth of his turtle.”

“Sciron the bandit?” Cecil repeated. “Didn’t Theseus kill him?”

“He came back through the Doors,” Nico explained. “When we got to the Doors, she went up against Pasiphaë.”

Yep. That was definitely pride in Nico’s voice when he told them what Hazel had done Nico might not say it outright, but he was definitely proud of his sister and her accomplishments. It was nice that Nico had Hazel and she had him. Nico deserved someone like Hazel to be part of his life.

Slowly, Nico began to open up to Lou Ellen and Cecil almost as much as he had with Will. He described the many adventures he and the rest of the Seven had been on during their journey to Greece and he told them about the trip back with the Athena Parthenos.

There were a few things Nico was very obviously purposefully skipping over.

“Wait. When did you get the scepter that summoned those ghosts Frank bossed around?” Cecil interrupted.

Nico’s eyes fixed on the wall. “Jason and I got it in Croatia.” He carried on with the story, not bothering to explain what happened.

When Nico was explaining about his shadow traveling journey, Lou Ellen held up a hand. “Hold up. You just skipped over a few days. What happened?”

Nico winced. “We don’t talk about Albania.”

“Oh my gods, you met Voldemort!” Lou Ellen gasped.

Nico tilted his head. “Voldemort?” he repeated slowly like he’d never said the word.

Cecil’s eyes grew wide and he glanced at Lou Ellen like he was expecting an explosion which, Will supposed, was probably very likely.

“You know, from Harry Potter,” Lou Ellen said. Her eyes narrowed. “You  _ have _ heard of Harry Potter, right?”

Nico blinked. “Um… no?”

“WILL!” Lou Ellen shouted. “You have to show him the movies at the very least! How could you not tell me how uncultured Nico is? Hasn’t heard of Harry Potter,” she muttered under her breath.

“Harry Potter is a book series about a wizard that came out in the 1990s,” Will explained to Nico. “It was made into a series of eight movies. Lou really, really likes them. A lot.”

Nico nodded cautiously. “Right.”

“I guess we have to have a movie night,” Will said with a look at Lou Ellen. “Because someone can’t bear the knowledge that someone doesn’t know about Harry Potter.”

Lou Ellen crossed her arms. “Will. You’ve read the books. You’ve seen the movies. Tell me. Your life has gotten way better since then.”

“Um, I did all that last summer after the Titan war and then the Giant war happened.”

Lou Ellen frowned. “Will Solace, that has nothing to do with Harry Potter and you know it.”

“My life has gotten better since reading Harry Potter,” Will replied dutifully.

Lou Ellen beamed and looked at Nico. “See? Don’t worry. You’ll love them. I bet I can get the Stolls to smuggle a TV into Camp. The cabins all have outlets and since I’ll give you my DVDs, you won’t need cable.”

“Oh look at the time!” Cecil said loudly. “Dinner time. Let’s go.”

Lou Ellen looked at Nico. “Don’t think this is over. You  _ will _ watch Harry Potter.” She and Cecil left the infirmary.

Nico was out of the hospital bed faster than Will could blink.

“Are you that eager to get away from me?”

“No!” Nico said, shaking his head. His face turned a light pink. “I just… I only wanted to…” he scowled. “I don’t like staying in the infirmary. You made it tolerable, I guess, but I’d rather not spend time with you here. I mean, I just would rather stay out of the infirmary,” he stuttered. His face was turning red. “Whatever. Can we go?”

.

When they got to the dining pavilion, Jason waved Nico over to the Poseidon table where he was sitting with Percy.

Nico looked at Will. “Um, I guess I’ll see you at the campfire,” he mumbled. He wandered over to sit next to Jason.

Will made his way to the Apollo table and dropped into a seat next to Lydia across from Kayla and Austin.

“How was your date?” Lydia asked slyly.

Will sputtered and Kayla and Austin dissolved into laughter.

Lydia grinned at Will. “Kayla and Austin said you were on a date.”

The two laughing children of Apollo stopped laughing at that.

“Lydia!” Austin complained.

“What?” she asked. “You told me to ask him.”

“You weren’t supposed to tell  _ him _ that,” Kayla groaned.

Will glared at his siblings. “You guys suck.”

“But you didn’t give me extra dessert privileges,” Lydia shrugged. She happily ate her food as Kayla and Austin gapped at her.

“Have you been hanging out with the Stolls?” Will asked.

Lydia grinned and shook her head. “Alice and Julia. Why?”

“No reason,” Will muttered.

Alice Miyazawa and Julia Feingold were two daughters of Hermes that were just as mischievous as their older half-brothers Travis and Connor Stoll. Now apparently they had begun teaching Lydia their ways. Will sincerely hoped that Lydia’s mom wouldn’t march back to camp when Lydia came home for the school year and demand an answer for Lydia’s behavior.

Near the end of dinner, Chiron stomped his hooves for attention.

“In light of recent events with our Roman friends,” he announced, “the praetors and I have been working to arrange a trip to Camp Jupiter. We will be leaving in the afternoon of Monday the 16th and drive through the 17th. Finally, our trip will conclude on the 20th and we will return to Camp Half-Blood by the evening of the 22nd. For any campers wishing to go, please see your head counselor. Head counselors, please make sure you give me a final head count by the 10th. For our summer campers wishing to attend, please make sure the appropriate measures are taken to inform your parents about a later pick-up date, Wednesday the 25th.”

“I want to go!” Lydia told Will, bouncing in her seat. “I want to go!”

Will laughed. “Of course. Tell your mom about the pick-up date tomorrow though.”

“Pinky-swear,” Lydia promised. She skipped off towards the Hermes table, probably to ask Alice and Julia if they were going.

Kayla and Austin looked at Will. He sighed.

“What?” he asked. “I guess you want to go too?”

“Of course,” Kayla said. “Duh.”

Austin nodded eagerly. “Don’t you want to see the Roman camp?”

“Yeah,” Will admitted.

“Too bad your birthday isn’t until after,” Kayla said. “Lou Ellen was hoping it was.” She glanced over at the three Big Three kids. “Is Nico going?”

“Please stop,” Will sighed. “But, yeah. Probably. His sister and her boyfriend live there. And Reyna and him are friends I think.”

A few of his other siblings came over to tell Will they wanted to go to the Roman camp before dinner ended. Then it was time for the campfire.

Will saw at the Poseidon table that the three boys had stood up. Piper and Annabeth made their way over to their respective boyfriends. Jason gestured in the direction of the campfire and said something to Nico who shoved his hands in his pockets. Jason glanced over in Will’s direction. Will looked away. When he looked back up, he saw Jason, Piper, Percy, and Annabeth walking down to the fire and Nico was slowly wandering towards Will.

Will gathered up his siblings while he waited for Nico.

“Hi, Nico,” Kayla said.

Nico glanced at her. “Hey.”

“Just in time!” Will beamed at him.

Nico cast an uncertain look at Will’s siblings. “I don’t have to sing, do I?”

“Nope,” Will said.

“Will isn’t singing either,” Austin grinned. “Unless you want to scare Nico away?”

Nico looked offended like the idea of Will scaring him was ridiculous.

“And we’re going!” Will said loudly.

They marched down to the campfire where Austin grabbed his saxophone. He and most of the other Apollo kids had a variety of instruments stored there to use during campfires. Some of them didn’t play an instrument and opted just to sing instead.

Will and Nico sat next to the group of singers.

“I meant to thank you for, you know.” Nico gestured to his healed arm. “And the rest. I feel a lot better. So… thanks.”

“Just doing my job,” Will said. “Plus, I didn’t mind hanging out with you. It was nice.”

Nico gave him a small smile. “I guess you aren’t so bad yourself. But I’d still rather not have to stay in the infirmary.”

“Don’t get anymore life threatening injuries then.”

“I didn’t  _ try  _ to get scratched,” Nico defended himself. “I really needed a shadow and the best thing I could come up with was the shadow Lycaon would create when I killed him.”

“I was  _ talking _ about overdoing the shadow traveling,” Will said. “But that too.”

Nico rolled his eyes.

They sat listening to the camp songs and watching the huge fire blaze bright, reflecting the whole camp’s mood, but privately, Will wanted to think maybe a large part of the good mood was his own emotions and Nico’s too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one ever talks about the fact that for Nico, WWII was just kicking off and suddenly it's seventy years later and the Allies won the war. Like, imagine how disorienting that would be. The last thing Nico would remember if he had his memories would be Germany claiming Austria. So I put that in there.
> 
> Even though the timelines don't match up, I love the fan theories that Nico, Reyna, and Coach Hedge met Voldemort in Albania. Sure, 2010 is a few years after Harry defeated Voldemort, but... you know... did he really? Dun, dun, duh! Also, Lou Ellen is absolutely a Harry Potter geek. I mean, maybe that's my own Harry Potter geekiness showing, but...
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys liked my version of the three days!


	50. Capture the Flag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recognizable excerpt from the Hidden Oracle

Slowly, things started to go back to normal at Camp Half-Blood.

Mr. D wasn’t back yet although no one was too upset about that. Maybe Pollux missed his dad, but no one else really minded the wine god’s absence.

Sword fighting, archery, canoeing, and wall climbing had started up again instead of the combat training they had been doing nonstop in preparation for the battle.

Capture the flag was due to start again. Will really thought Chiron was tempting the Fates by choosing Friday the 13th as the first game, but he elected not to mention that when he saw the excitement the impending game brought.

Contrary to what Will had thought, Friday the 13th was shaping up to be decently okay.

It had been decided that Percy would lead the blue team (it was almost the red team, but Percy for some reason insisted on blue), and Jason would lead the red team.

Apollo, Hermes, Athena, Hades, Iris, Hypnos, Nike, and Hecate would be teaming up with Poseidon. Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Dionysus, Ares, Demeter, Nemesis, Hebe, and Tyche would be teaming up with Zeus.

Nico had rolled his eyes when Will told him not to summon any skeletons, but Annabeth overheard and she had agreed with Will, saying that she had already started planning out their team’s strategy and Nico would not be needing to summon any skeletons.

Everything went downhill when lunchtime rolled around.

Usually at mealtimes, Jason, Nico, and Percy would sit at the same table. Today was no different. The three boys were seated at the Zeus table and chatting about something when it happened.

A scroll floated down from the sky to land on the table between them. Everyone in the dining pavilion fell silent. Nico was apparently the first one to get over the surprise, or maybe he hadn’t been surprised in the first place, because he opened the scroll.

A flickering hologram appeared above the surface of the scroll: Leo Valdez, looking impish as usual with his dark wispy hair, his mischievous grin, and his diminutive stature. His jeans, blue work shirt, and tool belt were speckled with machine oil. Just like Will remembered him.

The one problem with Leo’s appearance was that Leo Valdez had died in the fiery explosion that had destroyed Gaea.

“Hey, guys!” Leo’s voice said from the scroll. His hologram spread his arms as if for a hug. “Sorry to leave you like that. Bad news: I died. Good news: I got better! I had to go rescue Calypso. We’re both fine now. We’re taking Festus to-” The image guttered like a flame in a strong breeze, disrupting Leo’s voice. “Back as soon as-” Static. “Cook tacos when-” More static. “¡Vaya con queso! Love ya!” The image winked out.

Jason stared at the scroll in shock. “Did… did he just…”

“I’m going to kill him,” Nico growled.

“He’s blowing us off for his girlfriend,” Jason sputtered. “What… I… doesn’t he… what?”

Percy gapped like a fish at the scroll. “He died,” he protested. “We thought he was dead!”

“He  _ did _ die,” Nico grumbled. “Hazel and I felt it.”

Piper marched across the pavilion and replayed the message. “He’s not coming back yet?” she asked dangerously. “He let us think he was dead and now he won’t come straight back to camp?”

Will decided that if there was one person on earth that he’d really rather not be at the moment, it was Leo Valdez. Even he had to admit that he was slightly ticked off that Leo said nothing about coming back right away. He genuinely liked Leo and had been upset when the son of Hephaestus died. Especially since he had been there when Octavian fired the onager that killed Leo.

“That’s not cool,” Percy complained. “What the Hades, Leo?”

“Settle down!” Chiron shouted over the exclamations, whispers, and theories buzzing around the campers. He trotted over and asked to hear the message. As Nico replayed the scroll, Chiron’s facial expression morphed from confused to surprised. He inhaled sharply. “Well, I suppose this is good news at any rate. Can one of you-”

“I’ll hang onto the scroll,” Nico snapped. “I want to listen to it again whenever I want to get mad.” He snatched the scroll up.

After lunch Will met Nico by the picnic tables along the beach.

“You okay?” he asked. “You seemed a little, well, a lot mad about the scroll and Leo.”

Nico’s jaw tightened. “He let us think he was dead. I mean, I knew he was dead. I could feel it, but it was also… different. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to give Jason or Piper any false hope, but I figured that if he  _ was _ alive, he would have come back by now or sent word a lot sooner than this.” He paused. “I blamed myself too. I’m just angry that he waited so long and now he’s not even coming back for a while.”

“Me too,” Will said. “I was there too. I mean, I kinda understood that Leo’s… death was necessary to destroy Gaea, but we’re the ones that didn’t stop Octavian. So it feels unfair that he couldn’t lift that weight off our shoulders until now.”

Nico nodded his head slowly.

“At least he’s alive,” Will said. “I don’t know him as well as Jason or Piper, but he was - is,” he corrected himself, “a great guy. Although, I don’t know how long he’s going to stay alive once Piper gets her hands on him,” he laughed. “Maybe he’s taking his time coming back because he wants this second chance to last longer.”

Nico stayed silent and Will got the idea that maybe there were more reasons that Nico was angry with Leo.

.

“Listen up,” Annabeth said. She wasn’t the flag bearing cabin, but considering the Poseidon cabin and consequently Percy held that spot, it was no surprise she had been put in charge of devising a strategy.

“Apollo cabin, Nico, and half of my cabin will all be guarding the flag,” she announced. “Malcolm will be directing you guys. Travis and Connor, you guys take Clovis and the rest of your cabin. You’ll be heading up the right side. Butch, you lead Holly, Laurel and the rest of Athena cabin. You’ll take the left side. Be careful of Piper and Drew. Try and draw out as many as you can. You’ll probably be up against Ares, Hephaestus, Demeter, and Nemesis. Lou Ellen, your cabin is with Percy and I. Jason probably has either Piper or Drew guarding the flag. They’ll try to turn us away.” She faced the whole group. “Jason is either guarding the flag or leading the charge for our flag.”

“I’ll take Jason if he comes for the flag,” Nico volunteered.

Annabeth nodded. “I was hoping you could. Remember, Jason can fly until he gets within ten yards of the flag and as long as he doesn’t have the flag.”

That rule had been established by Jason himself since it wouldn’t be fair if he could drop in, grab the flag, and fly out of reach. Chiron had fully supported that with overwhelming support from the other campers. The only time they hadn’t appreciated that rule was in April when they faced the Hunters in a goodwill game. Thalia had wanted to see her brother, and she had brought the Hunters with her. The Hunters had won that game, but Jason said it was only because there was nearly double the amount of Hunters than campers.

“If Jason is guarding the flag, it’s your job to keep him busy,” Annabeth said to Percy. “But no Kansas, please.”

Percy crossed his arms. “I would have won that, you know.”

“Yes, you would have done a wonderful job killing Jason,” Annabeth said, exasperatedly. “I know that. Can we move on?”

Will imagined that there was definitely a story behind that. He couldn’t figure out  _ why _ Percy would try to kill Jason, they seemed ridiculously close considering they had only known each other for almost two months and part of that time Percy had spent in Tartarus..

“Fine,” Percy grumbled. “I’ll kill Leo instead.”

Nico looked inclined to join Percy.

Annabeth sighed. “Just do your jobs. Thanks.”

Nico and Will, Kayla, Austin, Lydia, and the rest of their siblings gathered around the flag while Malcolm and Annabeth divided up their own siblings. Malcolm brought four Athena campers with him.

“Okay, Nico, you’re staying by the flag in case Jason comes,” Malcolm began. “Sophia and I will be here too,” he said looking at one of his sisters, Sophia. “Austin, Will, and Lydia, you guys will stay with us. Kayla, Max, Zachary, and Angelica,” he said to Will’s siblings, “you’ll be patrolling the woods with Marisa, Amber, and Dennis.”

Kayla, Max, Zachary, Angelica, Marisa, Amber, and Dennis disappeared into the woods all around the flag. Kayla and Zach no doubt would be finding trees to hide in and shoot their arrows from. They both had the uncanny ability to aim perfectly through the leaves and branches.

Personally, Will would have rathered getting put on patrol duty. Although, he didn’t mind keeping an eye on Nico to make sure he didn’t over exert himself or use his Underworldy powers just because Will wasn’t there.

About twenty minutes into the game, though it felt like an hour, there was no sign of anyone on the red team. The forest was eerily quiet and everyone was glancing around warily.

Finally, a group of three Ares campers burst out of the woods. A few arrows were stuck in their shields. They charged towards the flag.

One of them came at Will and he instinctively lashed out with his bow to block the sword. To his utter surprise, the sword bounced off the bow. The Ares camper, Sasha, Will thought her name was, took Will’s moment of shock to use the hilt of her sword and hit Will in the gut.

Will fell to the ground, wind knocked out of him. He blinked before sticking his bow out and swiping Sasha’s feet out from under her.

“You’re Oliver Queen!” Lydia squealed from somewhere. “The Arrow!”

Will nocked one of his blunt arrows, hoping to knock Sasha out with it. He fired it and it hit the ground to the right of her.

“Ugh, forget it,” Lydia groaned, firing her own blunt arrow and successfully knocking Sasha out.

“Since when do  _ you _ watch Arrow?” Will asked her.

Lydia shrugged. “It’s a show about a dude who fights crime with a bow and arrow. I’m a daughter of Apollo. Why wouldn’t I watch it?”

Will didn’t have time to respond because just then, lightning struck the earth around the flag, knocking everyone to the ground. Jason charged forward followed by Clarisse, Nyssa, Jake, and Harley.

Harley was holding something that Will was almost a hundred percent sure he did not want to know what it did. He stayed far out of the boy’s way.

Nico and Jason were locked in a fast paced sword fight. Nico’s Stygian iron sword clashed against Jason’s Imperial gold gladius. The swords were a blur of black and gold. Neither sword fighter looked like they wanted to back down. Both Jason’s and Nico’s faces were full of concentration, eyes locked onto their opponent.

Will barely had time to admire the skills with which they fought before he was forced to help Lydia fend off Nyssa.

Off to the left out of the corner of his eyes Will could see Malcolm fighting Clarisse. That left Austin and Sophie to deal with Jake and Harley. Judging by the amount of explosions and shouts from behind Will, Harley was using whatever explosive device he had brought with him.

“Sorry, Will!” Nico’s voice shouted.

Will turned to see three skeletons had erupted out of the ground and were now fighting one of the original three Ares campers that hadn’t been knocked out. Nico was still fighting Jason, but his movements were slightly more sluggish.

“Seriously?” Will muttered.

Nyssa kicked out at Will’s legs, sending him face first into the forest floor. She sprinted towards the flag, but Lydia hit her helmet with a blunt arrow.

“Yes!” Lydia cheered. She held out a hand to Will. “Come on, big brother. Stop eating Gaea. That’s gross.”

With that pleasant thought in his head, Will spat out the mouthful of dirt and pushed himself to his feet, ignoring Lydia’s hand. She giggled and sprinted off to deal with the Ares camper who had gotten rid of two of Nico’s three skeletons.

Jason managed to get the upper hand on Nico, probably due to the latter using the powers he wasn’t supposed to have used. Nico was sitting in a daze on the ground and Jason was grabbing the flag.

Will sent a blunt arrow at Jason, but it bounced off Jason’s shoulder. No doubt Jason would have a nice bruise tomorrow, but for now, it did nothing to deter Jason from taking off towards his team’s side.

A horn echoed through the forest much to Jason and the red team’s disappointment.

Annabeth appeared holding a grey flag followed by Lou Ellen and Percy. She was grinning happily.

“Blue team wins!” Chiron announced, galloping out of the woods.

“Good game,” Jason said to Percy.

Percy grinned at him. “You too.” He frowned at something. “Um. What did you do to Nico?”

“ _ Nico _ did that to himself,” Will said pointedly, looking at Nico.

Nico clambered to his feet unsteadily. “What?”

“I  _ told _ you not to use anymore Underworldy powers!” Will said. He gestured to Nico. “That’s why! And that was just three skeletons.”

“I’m fine,” Nico yawned. “Just tired. Sei così preoccupato. Sto bene.” he mumbled.

Chiara, the only other person who understood Italian, stifled a laugh.

“What?” Will asked.

“He said he’s fine,” Chiara giggled. “And that you worry too much.”

Will sputtered. “Worry too much?”

“Yeah,” Nico nodded. “You worry too much. I’m going to go to sleep. Wake me up when it’s time to leave for Camp Jupiter.” He started off in the completely wrong direction.

Will took a moment to realize what Nico said. Then he jumped and took off after him.

“Wait, that’s three days from now! Nico, you aren’t even going the right way!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
> Sei così preoccupato. Sto bene. --> You’re such a worrier. I’m fine.
> 
> After over a month, I'm back posting more to this! I've got the Camp Jupiter chapters coming up next, so I'm pretty excited about those. Those were fun for me to write. Especially the bus rides to and from. You'll see what I mean next chapter!


	51. The Trip to Camp Jupiter

After lunch on the 16th, the campers all piled into three buses.

Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Nico, Kayla, Austin, Cecil, Lou Ellen, Clarisse, Chris, Travis and Connor were in the same bus as Will. Percy and Annabeth sat in the row in front of Jason and Piper. Travis and Connor sat across the aisle from Percy and Annabeth with Clarisse and Chris behind them. Nico and Will sat in the row behind Jason and Piper. Across the aisle from them was Kayla and Austin with Cecil behind them and Lou Ellen behind Will and Nico.

“If our bus is the only one to get attacked on the way to the Roman camp, I’m blaming you, Prissy,” Clarisse said.

Percy looked mildly offended. “Jason and Nico are Big Three too!” he protested.

“Yeah, but you’re the danger magnet,” Clarisse pointed out.

The Hephaestus campers had lined the walls of the buses with Celestial bronze like they had done when building the Argo II, but it wasn’t foolproof. The demigod scent could still attract monsters even though it had been heavily diluted. It probably didn’t help that all three of the Big Three kids were on the same bus, but Jason insisted Nico be on the same bus as him and Percy and Jason were inseparable.

To Lou Ellen’s utter delight, the bus had a DVD player and built-in TVs.

“Nico hasn’t seen Harry Potter,” she announced as she put in the disc for  _ The Sorcerer’s Stone _ . “So we’re watching all eight movies.”

Chris looked at Nico in surprise. “Wait, seriously? My mom made me watch them when I was like eight.”

Nico sighed. “They weren’t… available while I was growing up,” he said.

Percy snorted. “Understatement.”

A smile flickered across Nico’s face. “Just a bit.”

Connor looked between Percy and Nico in confusion. “What’s the joke?”

“I was born before Harry Potter came out,” Nico said.

“Yeah, the first movie came out in 2001,” Travis said in a ‘well duh’ voice. “You’re like fourteen.”

Clarisse raised an eyebrow. She looked at Annabeth. “Is that right?”

“Yeah,” Annabeth confirmed. “First movie was 2001, the first book was 1997.”

“Huh,” Clarisse said.

“So Nico was born a year before the book,” Travis said. “So what?”

Nico managed a faint smile. By now, Will was struggling to keep a straight face. Percy, Annabeth, Jason, and Piper looked amused too.

“What’s so funny?” Cecil asked.

“Nothing,” Annabeth said, shoving Percy’s shoulder. “Just put the movie in, Lou Ellen."

They were able to get through the first four movies. It took a lot longer to watch them because they stopped for bathroom breaks and Will insisted on taking breaks between the movies so they didn’t fall asleep. Once he said that, Lou Ellen immediately agreed since it would be a crime if Nico fell asleep during any part of the movies.

They fell asleep after ten, about eleven hours into their 42 hour drive.

Annabeth and Will passed out travel packages of cereal the next morning. They all snacked on snack foods throughout the rest of the day as Lou Ellen mercilessly forced them to watch the last four movies. Nico seemed to be enjoying himself because he was just as engrossed in the movies as Lou Ellen.

“They should have had Grawp kill Umbridge,” Nico frowned. “She deserves it.”

Lou Ellen nodded along. “Ugh, I know right?  _ Voldemort _ is nicer than her.”

“Absolutely,” Nico agreed.

Not long after that, Nico threw a handful of goldfish at the screen. They ended up hitting Percy instead.

“Hey!” Percy said.

But Nico was busy glaring at the screen. “What? They can’t kill Sirius! He’s Harry’s only family!”

“It’s so unfair,” Lou Ellen sniffed.

“They didn’t even clear his name!”

Will was beginning to regret letting Lou Ellen introduce Nico to the wizarding world of Harry Potter.

By the time they passed out the sandwiches for dinner, they had made it to the eighth movie and once again, Nico was glaring at the screen.

“Dobby?” he protested. “What’s wrong with these people?”

“What’s wrong with you people?” Clarisse muttered. Sometime during  _ The Half-Blood Prince _ when Nico was shouting insults at Snape and Malfoy she had moved onto polishing everyone’s weapons. It probably wasn’t out of the goodness of her heart, likely she just wanted a distraction from Nico and Lou Ellen’s geeking out, but Will appreciated it all the same. He never had arrows that shiny before.

Nico turned to stare at Lou Ellen. “He loved Lily?”

“What did I tell you?” Lou Ellen said with tears rolling down her cheeks. “Don’t judge Snape too early.”

“How could Dumbledore ask Snape to kill him when he knew that would make everyone hate Snape?”

“I don’t know!”

Will considered shooting an arrow at the TV. Maybe he’d get lucky and put everyone out of their misery. Although, Nico might not forgive him for breaking the movie when it was almost over.

He had almost fallen asleep when Nico jarred him wide awake.

“GO NEVILLE!”

Piper and Percy jumped up, weapons drawn. Apparently they had been asleep when Nico woke them. Travis and Connor groaned and Chris rested his head on the seat in front of him.

“You created a monster,” Austin mumbled to Lou Ellen.

Kayla peered out the window. “Are we almost there?” she asked hopefully.

It was eleven o’clock. They still had about six hours left.

Finally, the movie ended.

“What about their kids?” Nico asked. “They can’t just leave us on that cliffhanger. I want to know what happened to their kids.”

Lou Ellen shrugged. “Sorry. That’s up to you to imagine. But I’ve always liked the idea that Albus, Rose, and Scorpius become friends.”

“Now that you’ve finished, can we go to sleep?” Chris called back.

“Please?” Kayla added.

They only got about five hours of sleep after that. The buses pulled into the entrance to Camp Jupiter around 5:30 A.M. Although with the time difference, it was actually 2:30 A.M. which they were all grateful for the extra few hours of sleep that would give them. A tired looking Reyna and Frank greeted them.

It was a testament to how tired they were that the statue of Terminus didn’t even phase Will or any of the other Greeks.

“Weapons aren’t allowed within the Pomerian Line,” Reyna explained. “Terminus will hold them for you until you leave the boundaries.”

“Don’t talk ‘bout his hands,” Percy mumbled.

Frank grinned. “How do you know that, Percy?”

“Shuddup,” Percy slurred. “Mtired. Someone shouting at Parry Hotter.”

“Parry what?” Katie Gardner blinked.

“The wiz'rd kid,” Percy said, waving a hand in the air. “Somethin likat.”

“Harry Potter?” Drew asked.

Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Chris, Clarisse, Travis, Connor, Kayla, Austin, Cecil, and Will groaned. Lou Ellen and Nico grinned which was slightly unnerving in the darkness.

Reyna rubbed her eyes. “We’ll show you to where you’ll be staying,” she said.

In the darkness, Will couldn’t really appreciate the city. Honestly, he doubted he would even be able to remember this in the morning when they woke up.

They reached the hotel Reyna and Frank had set up for them. They would be grouped in rooms according to their godly parent just like at camp. From what Will could tell in his sleep deprived state, the only ones sharing a room with non-siblings were Jason, Percy, and Nico since they were the only ones of their respective parents.

As soon as Will’s head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lou Ellen and Nico have been exposed as Harry Potter fans.
> 
> There will be a chapter in Riordanverse Fic Outtakes with an outtake from this chapter.


	52. The Roman Camp

Camp Jupiter was much more impressive after a few more hours of sleep. At 8:00, three demigods appeared at the hotel to lead them to the Mess Hall. Reyna and Frank were there again, but Hazel had apparently opted to join them because she was waiting patiently with the two praetors.

“Nico!” she called when she saw her brother. She came over and gave him a hug.

As far as Will could tell, Nico didn’t actively resist the hug. He kind of patted Hazel’s back awkwardly a few times before stepping back. If it bothered Hazel, she didn’t show it. Instead she turned to smile at her other friends.

“I’m so glad you guys came,” Hazel said to the four members of the Seven.

Reyna gave them a wry smile. “Try not to destroy our city this time?”

Will didn’t know what prompted it. But for whatever reason, Piper couldn’t wait any longer.

“Leo’s alive,” she blurted.

Nico scowled and the rest of the Seven quickly grew annoyed looks.

“He what?” Frank sputtered.

Nico pulled out the scroll Leo had sent them and played the message.

“I’m going to kill him,” Hazel growled.

“That’s what I said,” Nico muttered.

Piper crossed her arms. “Too bad. I have first dibs.”

Will turned to Nico. “You keep that in your pocket?”

“Never know when you want to get angry,” Nico shrugged. “Although, if you prefer I could do that thing in the  _ Half-Blood Prince _ where Bellatrix shatters-”

Will covered his ears. “I wasn’t delirious enough to completely forget last night.”

“Last night?” Hazel asked in confusion.

Everyone who was on the bus with the exception of Lou Ellen and Nico groaned and shook their heads.

“You don’t want to know,” Chris muttered.

“We watched all eight Harry Potter movies,” Lou Ellen answered with a grin. “Nico’s a fan now. Those guys just don’t get it.”

Nico nodded sagely. “Muggles. They’re all muggles.”

“Muggles?” Hazel repeated like she had never heard the word before.

A moment of pure panic seized Will. He cleared his throat loudly.

“Doesn’t matter!” he said quickly. “Let’s just go! It’s breakfast time, right?” he looked at Reyna pleadingly.

Nico ignored him. He looked at Lou Ellen. “Hazel’s never seen them either.”

“Gods help her,” Clarisse mumbled.

Travis looked at Hazel pityingly. “She’s a goner.”

Piper saved the day. “It’s okay,” she said. “Frank told me he was planning to show them to Hazel for a date-movie night thing. Isn’t that right, Frank?” she asked pointedly as if daring him to say no.

“Uh, yeah, that’s right,” Frank stuttered under the look from Piper and the expectant looks Lou Ellen and Nico were sending his way. “Harry Potter. Hazel. Movie night. Date. Absolutely.”

Reyna watched with an amused smile. She cleared her throat for attention. “We’ll be taking you down into the actual Camp for breakfast,” she explained. “The rest of the day you’re welcome to join in our activities and explore. For those of you who are interested, we’re opening New Rome University to Greeks as well.”

“Whoop!” Percy cheered.

Annabeth smiled and shook her head fondly.

Reyna bit back a smile of her own. “You  _ are _ going to take me up on the offer then?”

“Four years without any gods or monsters trying to kill me?” Percy asked incredulously. “I’m all in.”

“Tomorrow, we’ll be hosting War Games,” Reyna continued as they walked through New Rome.

“Greeks vs. Romans,” Frank grinned. “Well,  _ technically _ it’s Greeks vs. Romans.”

“Since there are more Romans than Greeks,” Hazel said, “on behalf of the fifth cohort, I volunteered us to join you.”

“And many legionnaires are curious to fight both the Greeks and the Seven,” Reyna said with an odd glint in her eyes. “I must admit I am curious as well.”

Hazel smiled. “So the ‘Greeks’ will be attacking.”

“Do we get the elephant?” Percy asked hopefully.

“Naturally,” Reyna nodded. “Afterwards will be a feast to celebrate our friendship and then in the morning we will provide you with food for your journey home.”

As they walked into the mess hall alongside other legionnaires, Percy and Jason waved to a few people they knew. Will could see some of the Apollo kids and legacies that had helped out in the days after the battle.

“We usually sit by cohort,” Frank informed them. “Since you’re guests, you can sit wherever you want.”

Chiron had reverted to his wheelchair and rolled up to the head to eat with Reyna and Frank and the other leaders of the camp.

Percy and Jason went straight to where the fifth cohort was sitting, dragging their girlfriends with them. Hazel pushed Nico to go with them.

After a while, Will, Lou Ellen, and Cecil sat down with the fifth cohort next to Nico.

“Mind if we join you?” Will asked.

Nico gestured to the open seats. “It’s a lot different than Camp. Half-Blood, I mean,” he added. “I was Pluto’s Ambassador, so I usually sat at the head, but sometimes I would sit with Hazel.”

“You were only here for a short time whenever you came,” Hazel protested. “And you were the only person I knew.”

“For like an hour before I brought you here,” Nico pointed out.

“Nico brought you here?” Cecil asked, looking at Nico. “You knew about this place?”

“My father told me,” Nico said.

Next to Jason, a boy was laughing. “I remember when you showed up with Hazel. Reyna’s face was priceless.” He glanced at Jason. “Not that you were much better. Think it was more like a ‘Reyna, what the heck do I do’ kind of face.”

Jason gave Hazel a sheepish look. “In my defense, I had only been elected a few days before.” He frowned at the boy. “And isn’t it mean to laugh at your ex-praetor, Dakota?”

Dakota snorted. “Anyone but you.” He took a drink of red liquid, and Will noticed the red stain around his mouth.

“Is that wine?” Will whispered to Nico.

“Red kool aid,” Nico whispered back. “His dad is Bacchus. Uh, Dionysus for us. Dakota has a small drinking problem.”

Will thought about Pollux, the only other son of the wine god he knew, but he couldn’t imagine him drinking like Dakota. Small seemed to be an understatement. If that ring of red was permanent… Will did not want to know the amount of kool aid Dakota consumed to get to that point.

“Everyone’s pretty excited about the War Games tomorrow,” Hazel was saying. “Although, we’ve learned not to use too much water,” she said, looking in Percy’s direction. “Even if it was pretty cool.”

“Well, Percy and I are planning to look around New Rome,” Annabeth said. “We didn’t get to do that last time we were here. I was told I would like the fountains.”

Hazel grinned. “Percy told you that?” Her eyes fell on Will, Lou Ellen, and Cecil. “Hi. Who are you guys?”

“Will Solace,” Will said with a smile.

“Lou Ellen Blackstone.”

“Cecil Markowitz.”

Nico looked up quickly. “Oh, uh, Lou Ellen, this is Hazel. She’s the one who did all the stuff with the Mist. Lou Ellen’s a daughter of Hecate,” Nico explained to Hazel. “She asked about you.”

Hazel’s eyes darted between the three of them and Nico. “You never told me about your friends,” she reprimanded Nico.

“It’s new,” Nico scowled.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Will said.

Nico crossed his arms. “You forced me to stay in the infirmary for three days!”

“But it saved your arm, didn’t it?” Will said triumphantly.

“Saved your arm?” Hazel repeated, grabbing Nico’s arm. “Nico!”

Nico yanked his arm back. “I’m fine. It’s healed now.”

“You’re welcome,” Will said pointedly.

“Whatever,” Nico mumbled.

“So…” Lou Ellen began awkwardly. “Nico said you fought Pasiphaë,” she said to Hazel. “That’s pretty cool.”

Hazel dropped the subject of Nico’s arm to have a conversation with Lou Ellen about using the Mist.

Annabeth cleared her throat. “What about the rest of you? Any plans for the day?”

“I want to get a map of Temple Hill,” Jason said. “I want to work on the new layout this year.” He shrugged. “After that… I don’t know. I think I still have some of my old stuff here. Clothes and stuff I collected. I have to go through all that.”

It was strange to think that Jason had spent  _ years _ of his life at this camp, yet he seemed like he belonged with the Greeks more than the Romans.

“Your stuff is still in your praetor place,” Percy told him. “When they elected me, Reyna took me there, but… well, it was awkward.”

“Right,” Jason nodded slowly. “Thanks. I’ll have to talk to Frank later then.”

“Okay,” Will said. “War games. What is it?”

Nico tilted his head. “Um, well, it’s kinda like Capture the Flag.”

“It is,” Percy nodded. 

“For Romans vs. Greeks, the Romans are going to build a fort tomorrow that we have to attack,” Nico said. “Once you get inside the fort, you have to find the flag.”

“That sounds too easy,” Cecil said.

Jason grinned. “You haven’t seen a Roman fort then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter. This chapter I struggled with. I wrote almost to the end of what you see here now, about to where Jason talks about getting his old stuff, and then I stopped for a long time. I knew I wanted to get to a specific scene which actually ended up becoming an outtake for the future Chapter 54, but I didn't know how to proceed from here. So honestly, this isn't my favorite chapter and maybe one day I'll go back and edit this chapter, but for now, I'm okay with it.
> 
> Good news though! I wrote about five chapters today for The Sum of Our Choices: The Last Olympian, so sixteen chapters of that have been written which means by the time I'm done posting the few Always Towards the Sun chapters I have and the chapters for Nico di Angelo and the Quest to Save the Stupid Idiots, I'll start posting The Sum of Our Choices: The Last Olympian immediately!
> 
> (Also, I realized I promised a summary for that in the last chapter of Battle of the Labyrinth, so I'll be putting that up in a minute. Oops. My bad.)


	53. War Games

Will had managed to talk Nico into showing him, Lou Ellen, and Cecil around the Roman camp. There was a lot of camp to see, and they spent most of their first day wandering around with Nico telling them what various things were.

The next day, Nico dragged Will to a sword fighting lesson.

“If you think I’m going to let you go into war games  _ without _ any practice, you’re wrong,” Nico told him. “I’ve seen how Romans fight. It’s a lot more organized than Greeks. They fight as a unit. One part of a whole. So you’re going to be able to defend yourself.”

Will scowled at the sword Nico gave him. “I’m not that good, but I do better with a bow.”

Cecil and Lou Ellen sat off to the side, watching with amusement.

“Whip him into shape, Nico!” Lou Ellen called.

Will threw her a dirty look. “Thanks, Lou,” he said sarcastically. He turned back to Nico. “Is this payback for the infirmary?”

Nico shrugged. “If this saves your life, then yeah, I guess it is.”

Will sighed. “Fine.”

Nico showed Will how to hold the sword and how to properly swing. All of which Will vaguely remembered Luke Castellan trying to teach Will, but failed. Maybe it was something about how Nico taught him or maybe it was something else, but Will found himself starting to get the hang of it.

They moved onto blocking. Nico showed Will how to block and then gave him a crooked smile.

“Block my sword,” Nico told him.

Will blinked. “What?”

Nico’s black sword swung towards Will who yelped and instinctively brought his sword up to meet Nico’s. The metal clanged and sent Will's sword bouncing back off Nico's. Nico swung again, and Will flailed his sword at Nico's.

"It's like you forgot everything we just did," Nico frowned.

"I'm not good with a sword, Nico," Will sighed. "I'm not even that good with a bow."

"Not with that attitude," Nico said. "When I was, uh, you know. At Camp the first time," he mumbled. "Travis and Connor helped me with sword fighting. I wasn't very good."

That was hard to believe. Will had seen Nico at the Battle of the Labyrinth and at the Battle of Manhattan. Nico have been maybe 12 or 13 then and he was an unstoppable force. He possessed such skill with a sword.

"You always seem right at home when you're fighting," Will said. "You're a natural."

Nico scowled. "I wasn't always. Everything I can do was taught to me by a ghost. After I left Camp, he found me. Minos," he added. "He taught me how to use my powers to raise the dead and he watched every right I had with some new skeleton. He critiqued and criticized me on one thing until I improved. Then he found something else wrong. By the time Percy and the others brought me back to Camp for the Battle of the Labyrinth, I had been training with Minos for months. I'm not a natural. I worked hard to get this good. You've got the basics, but you panic when it comes to the actual fight. Don't."

"The last time I tried to do this, Luke ended up in the infirmary," Will said.

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that good? You got a hit on him."

"But I wasn't trying to hit him," Will sighed. "We were doing this. Blocking. I was supposed to be blocking his sword. I made a huge gash in his leg."

Nico gave Will a look. "You aren't going to hurt me. Like I said, I raised the dead to fight. I've trained with the greatest swordsmen and women of history. Now block me!" He jabbed his sword at Will.

Will brought up his sword to knock it away. "Hey!"

Nico barely wasted anytime. He swung back at Will who ducked under Nico's swing. Nico struck again, fast as a whip. Will blocked swing after swing and strike after strike.

"Better!" Nico said as he continued his assault on Will.

Will backed out of Nico's range and then charged forward. For once, he tried going on the offensive. Will swang hard and Nico had to block him. Their swords collided with a _CLANG!_ The force of the swords clashing sent Will’s sword skittering from his hands, but Nico looked satisfied.

“Well, you’ll probably lose to Percy or Jason or Annabeth, but I think you can hold your own longer than you could have before,” Nico decided. “You'll have to practice more at Camp when we get back. I can keep helping you. If you want," he added quickly. "Or you can go with Percy or someone."

Will shook his head. "No, no. I... this was actually good. Thanks."

Nico gave him an awkward smile. "Okay. Right well... wait. You said that last time you did this was with Luke? Luke Castellan? That would have been like five years ago!"

"Um, yeah," Will said sheepishly. "After I got cleared to work in the infirmary, I lined up my shifts to be during that class.  My brothers didn’t like that very much,” he said distantly, remembering Lee and Michael’s reactions.

Nico scowled. “What would happen if you had to use a sword? You could get yourself killed!”

“Is that concern?” Will teased.

Nico flushed. “Well, aren’t friends supposed to be worried about friends?” He sheathed his sword. “I have to go. I’m supposed to meet Hazel.” He ran off in the direction of New Rome.

“What was that all about?” Cecil asked.

Will stared after Nico. "Not sure. But he's going to keep helping me with sword fighting when we get back to Camp."

"Oooh, a date?" Lou Ellen asked hopefully.

"Not a date," Will said, flushing pink. "Shut up."

"They're going to be private lessons."

"No, Lou."

"Just you two."

Will glared at her.

Lou Ellen shrugged. "Just saying. I can ask Drew to light a bunch of candles around the arena if you want."

Cecil covered his grin with his hands, but Will could hear his muffled laughter.

"Please don't."

.

That afternoon all the Greeks and the Fifth Cohort gathered on the Field of Mars for the Greeks vs. Romans War Game.

Annabeth and her siblings were understandably in charge of strategy via a unanimous vote by the Greeks. Some of the Romans in the Fifth Cohort looked a little unsure about that for some reason.

“What’s the deal with them?” Will whispered to Nico.

Nico jumped. Will noted that he had seemed distracted ever since he came back from his time with his sister.

“Minerva’s a maiden goddess,” Nico explained. “She doesn’t have any kids here, so children of Athena are a little scandalous for the Romans.” He winced. “Ah, part of the whole Athena Parthenos thing.”

Will took the hint and dropped the subject.

The whole set up in the Field of Mars was quite impressive. The earth was pitted with explosion craters and scarred with trenches from past games as Nico had explained yesterday, but there was one thing that hadn’t been there the last Will checked.

A huge stone fortress stood in the middle of the field. Will knew the Romans were good builders, but to build this in one day? That was a whole new level of impressive.

Nico looked faintly excited. “This is the first time I’ve participated. As ambassador I wasn’t actually part of a cohort. I only got to watch.”

“Watch me get beat up,” Hazel said, coming over. Her eyes met Will's for a second before she quickly looked away towards Lou Ellen . “Annabeth’s asking for us. I  _ think _ she’s hoping we can do some serious Mist manipulation.”

Lou Ellen’s eyes lit up. “I’m so down. Let’s do it.”

Will didn’t miss the awkward atmosphere that seemed to come from Nico and Hazel. But for the life of him, he could  _ not  _ figure out what had happened.

“Is everything okay?” he asked Nico.

Nico shrugged. “Fine. Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” Will lied. If Nico didn’t want to talk about it, he wasn’t going to press it. Especially not before they were about to storm a Roman fort.

“Alright,” Annabeth called, gathering the Greek side together. “Here’s the plan. Hazel and Lou Ellen and her cabin are going to cover our attack. Once we get to the wall, Apollo’s kids are going to get up the wall and secure an area where we can get the rest of our forces up. I want them to go with a few Ares and Mars kids to the right side of the wall.”

Hazel took over. “Fifth Cohort will be leading the main charge,” she said. She shared a grin with Frank and Percy. “They’ll be expecting that. The only thing is, they’ll be expecting the actual Fifth Cohort to be the ones leading. Percy and Jason will be leading a team of Greeks that Hecate cabin and I will be disguising as part of the Fifth.” She looked at Dakota. “My brother is going to guide you and a team of the Fifth through underground tunnels.”

“Like what we did before,” Percy remembered.

Hazel shrugged. “What can I say, it was a pretty good plan.” She glanced at Frank and gave him a smile.

“Hazel, I don’t have control over the earth like you,” Nico spoke up.

“You have enough to guide them down the right tunnels,” Hazel told him. “Once you reach the wall, I’ll pull you guys up.”

Frank looked worried. “Hazel, are you sure you can handle that much?”

“You act like we’d just leave Hazel vulnerable,” Lou Ellen said. “My siblings and I can protect her if she does too much.”

“Greeks!” Percy cheered.

“GREEKS!” the other Greeks chorused.

Percy faltered, looking at the Romans. “Uh, ave Fifth Cohort!”

“Ave Fifth Cohort,” Hazel said, shaking her head.

.

When the horn blew, Will and his siblings along with the Roman children of Apollo took off towards the right side of the field. None of the Romans within the fort paid them any attention, so he assumed Hazel, Lou Ellen, and the other Hecate kids were working their Mist magic to hide them from view. It was a pretty cool trick and now Will hoped that Apollo and Hecate would be on the same side for Capture the Flag because he did not want to be on the other end of this trick.

Nico, Dakota, and a bunch of the Fifth disappeared into the ground although for a split second it almost looked like they were charging at the Roman fort. Then Will looked again and saw that it was the team Jason and Percy were leading. Behind that charge, Will could see Drew Tanaka and a few of her siblings in Aphrodite on top of the elephant whose name he learned was Hannibal. Will could hear Drew shouted commands at the Romans with her charmspeak.

“Okay,” Austin said as they made their way across the field, maneuvering around deep holes. “I have to admit, this is pretty fun. Do you think Chiron will go for it if we run the idea by him?”

Kayla rolled her eyes. “I think Annabeth would be all too happy to design the fort each time, but I’m not interested in being the one to build it.”

“Fair enough,” Austin said.

Once they reached the walls, Frank nodded to Kayla and some of the Roman Apollo kids. They drew back their arrows and let them fly. The arrows streaked upward, carrying a glittering rope. The arrows reached the top of the fort just as Dakota’s group charged up out of the ground at the base of the fort.

The surprise arrival startled the Romans defending the fort since they had been busy fighting off the group lead by Percy and Jason which was only halfway across the Field of Mars. Jason jumped into the air and sent a blast of electricity at one of the canons.

Unfortunately, the Mist illusion was now down and some of the Romans had begun noticing the Apollo, Ares, and Mars group. The arrows Frank had called hydra arrows had wrapped around anything they could find to secure themselves to the top of the fort and along the rope, handholds had appeared to create a ladder for them to climb.

“Up!” Frank shouted.

Clarisse let out a loud battle cry and was the first to start climbing up the ladders. Her siblings followed after her without hesitation. Kayla and Austin started up one of the ladders as well.

Will glanced at Frank who hadn’t made a move towards any of the ladders. “You going?”

“I’ll meet you up there,” Frank said with a grin. Suddenly, Frank started shrinking down until an eagle hovered in his place. The eagle flapped its wings and soared up towards the top of the fort.

“I really hope Clarisse can’t do that,” Will mumbled, grabbing onto one of the ladders and starting his climb.

By the time Will reached the top of the fort, most of the defenders had been dealt with. He assumed it was Clarisse and the Ares and Mars kids who had done most of the work because quite a few defenders looked a little worse for wear and a couple of them were knocked unconscious.

Frank was back in human form because he was at the front of the group. His bow was drawn. “Archers!” he shouted. “Cover our comrades’ advance!”

The walls shook as Hannibal and the Aphrodite cabin broke through the gate. The rest of the Greeks and the Fifth charged in after that.

Will was actually kind of grateful for the sword lesson Nico had given him earlier that day. He had quickly run out of arrows and was forced to dive into the fray wielding a sword.

Somehow he ended up next to Cecil who looked completely elated by the going ons of the fight around them.

“It’s like Capture the Flag on steroids!” he yelled over the fighting. “I love it, we need to get Chiron to let us try this once!”

“Austin will support you on that!” Will called back.

As the fighting was going on, Will could kinda see what Nico was talking about when he described the differences in Greek and Roman fighting style. The Romans fought with locked shields and stabbed with their swords. Nico’s comparison of them fighting as part of a whole was spot on. Meanwhile, the Greeks slashed with their swords and whacked with the flat part of their blades. Unlike the Romans who stood together to attack and defend, the Greeks scattered and split to get out of the way of an attack. They rolled and dove for the unprotected feet of the Romans.

Both sides were effective, but the Romans weren’t prepared for a Greek onslaught of mass chaos.

“Run!” Piper shouted. “Save yourselves! Get out of the way!” She was in the middle of a hand-to-hand fight with a Roman, otherwise her charmspeak might have been much more powerful.

As it was, a lot of the Romans would back off for a few seconds, only to return and attack with vigor. Some of them even started banging on their shields and yelling to drown out Piper’s voice.

Somehow, Will found himself fighting next to Nico. Compared to the son of Hades, Will felt pretty silly since all he was doing was blocking and parrying anyone who attacked him while Nico was successfully taking on two Romans at once.

“No skeletons this time,” Will said, not really thinking Nico could hear him.

Nico snorted. “I have no intention of passing out any time soon, Solace.”

“Hot date?”

Nico made a choking noise. “What? No.”

Around them, some of the Greeks started rushing back the way they’d come in and a victorious cheer rose from somewhere outside the fort walls.

Reyna circled down over the battle on the back of a white pegasus. “The game is won!” she called. “Assemble for honors!”

Slowly, the Romans and Greeks regrouped on the Field of Mars. Now that they were no longer fighting, Will took in all the injuries. They were all minor injuries: burns, broken bones, black eyes, cuts and gashes. All fairly easy to heal.

Chiron galloped over from where he’d been watching the fight. He stood next to Reyna’s pegasus.

“Congratulations,” Reyna said with a smile.

“Does this mean we would have been the ones to kill you guys a few weeks ago?” Annabeth asked teasingly.

“You had the help of the Fifth,” Reyna protested. “Perhaps the next time us Romans visit your camp we will have to test your games.”

“And we’ll beat you at that too,” Clarisse jeered, holding the Roman banner triumphantly.

Chiron looked pleased. “I’m sure the praetors will agree with me when I say how truly amazing it is to see such cooperation between our two groups. Now! Tend to the wounded. I’m sure no one wants to miss the feast tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A kind of sort of not really date with the sword fighting lessons. And yeah, I had the Greeks win. Possibly cliche for these types of chapters, but in SoN, Frank even says that Percy's fighting style, his Greek fighting style, threw off the Romans who weren't prepared to fight that way. And that was just one Greek and two Romans who were following along. With dozens more Greeks and a whole cohort of Romans, I figured that it would be entirely plausible for the Greeks to win.
> 
> Also... I'm not sure how you go about losing in War Games. I guess if no one gets through the wall or everyone gets disarmed?


	54. Going Home

Every kind of food Will could possibly imagine was served at the feast that night. The mess hall was full of laughter and friendly conversations.

“Hard to imagine that a few weeks ago we were all plotting the best ways to kill the other,” Cecil mused.

“Not all of us,” Nico grimaced. “Some of us were plotting ways to figure out how to  _ stop _ the fighting.”

“Thank the gods you and Reyna arrived when you did,” Lou Ellen agreed.

“Though you could have chosen a safer way to arrive,” Will said with a grin.

“I’m not the one who snuck into a Roman camp with a head of bright yellow hair,” Nico defended himself. “You couldn’t at least stick it under a hat?”

“I was surprised I could even find black clothes,” Will argued. “Plus I was still shaken up from… um, earlier.”

Will could have gone his whole life without delivering a baby. He would have preferred it actually.

“Right,” Cecil snickered. “The baby thing.”

Will groaned. “Please don’t mention that. Like ever.”

“Hey!” Hazel came over and sat next to Nico. “I meant to say good job after the War Games.” She gave Lou Ellen thumbs up. “And thanks for the assist with the Mist.”

“I’m going to remember this for our Capture the Flag games next summer,” Lou Ellen said. “Or whenever the Hunters next visit. Usually I don’t think about it when I use the Mist, but what you said really helped. About making people see what they want to see.”

Hazel shrugged. “After spending so long in Asphodel, I learned that the dead see what they want to see. Manipulating the Mist… it’s pretty much the same.”

Cecil raised an eyebrow. “Asphodel? Like, the Fields of Asphodel?”

Nico glanced at Hazel. She gave him a reassuring smile.

“I guess you could say I’m one of the returnees,” Hazel explained. “I died back in 1942 to prevent one of Gaea’s giants from being reborn. Gaea… she manipulated my mother. I didn’t want her going to Punishment, so we both went to Asphodel.”

“You brought her back, didn’t you?” Lou Ellen asked Nico.

Nico stared at his food. “My father guided me to her, but yes.”

Hazel squeezed Nico’s arm. “I’m going to go sit with Frank, but about what I said earlier, I meant it. And I expect an Iris message.” Her eyes flitted up and for a second, she held her gaze on Will.

Nico’s face flushed a light pink. “Hazel…”

Hazel laughed and headed off towards the table Frank was sitting at.

“She’s not going to have to go back to the Underworld, is she?” Lou Ellen asked worriedly.

Nico shook his head. “No. Percy said that Thanatos told her she wasn’t on his list of souls to reclaim.”

Will looked at Nico in amusement. “Death himself said that?”

Nico frowned. “Yes. Who else would have said it?”

“You’re just casually throwing it out there that the god of death had a chat with Percy and Hazel,” Will said.

“Frank was there too,” Nico added. He squinted at Will. “You’re teasing, aren’t you?”

“Little bit,” Will admitted.

.

They got up early the next morning to eat breakfast and load up the buses with food for the ride home.

Everyone would be riding in the same buses as before much to Clarisse’s irritation. Luckily, they had finished all of Lou Ellen’s Harry Potter movies on the ride up.

“Is everything okay with you and Hazel?” Will asked as he and Nico made their way to the buses.

Nico frowned. “Yeah. Why?”

“Well, yesterday before the War Games,” Will began, “you two seemed tense. I just wanted to make sure you were okay before we left California.”

Nico stiffened for a moment before relaxing. “We’re good. I just had to talk with her about some things. She had to tell me things too. I… well, she gave me some good advice. Which kind of matched what you told me that day on Half-Blood Hill. Don’t let other people define my life and all that.”

Will beamed. “I  _ do _ know what I’m talking about. Hazel’s smart.”

“You know I ran away from Camp a lot,” Nico continued awkwardly. “And I’m kind of tired of running, so… so I’m really trying. I don’t want to live in my past anymore. A lot of things have changed since then.”

Will got the feeling that Nico was talking about more than just his past few years of knowing he was a demigod. But he didn’t push the issue.

Honestly, he was surprised at how open Nico was at the moment.

“Plus, you know, Hazel’s whole speech kind of inspired me,” Nico mumbled. “So I figure I better say this now. You’ve been a really, really good friend, Will. I… it’s nice to have someone who… cares.”

Will grinned. “You’re going all mushy on me, di Angelo? What has the world come to?”

Nico shoved Will. “Shut up, Solace,” he grumbled. “You’re also annoying and bossy. You made me stay in the infirmary for three days. And you tell me what to eat.”

“Someone has to.”

“Dork.”

When they reached the bus, Will climbed up the stairs first.

“Finally,” Clarisse grumbled. “We’ve been waiting for you two.”

“Relax, Clarisse,” Kayla called. “The other buses are still waiting for people too.”

“No, no, she’s right,” Lou Ellen said. “We have a long ride ahead of us and I want to get back to Camp quick.”

“Sorry,” Will said as he and Nico sat down in the same row they sat in on the way to Camp Jupiter. “Didn’t mean to make you guys wait.”

“It’s too bad we finished the movies,” Lou Ellen mused. “I should have brought more.” She peered over at Nico. “Hey, Nico. What else haven’t you seen? I have to culture you.”

Nico looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“Nico doesn’t need to see another movie saga for at least another year,” Cecil said, looking panicked.

“Star Wars,” Will said thoughtfully. “That’s a good one.”

Lou Ellen nodded eagerly. “Mmmh, yeah, you’re right. What about the Avengers movies?”

“Those are good!” Percy shouted from the front of the bus. “I vote Batman though!”

Will couldn’t help it. He started cracking up.

Nico frowned. “What’s so funny?”

“Batman’s a comic book character that dresses in all black and fights crime in the shadows,” Annabeth answered, giving Percy a disapproving look.

Nico glanced at his black jeans and black t-shirt. “Very funny, Percy,” he said dryly.

“Well, if Nico’s Batman, then Percy’s Aquaman,” Piper said with a smile.

Lou Ellen grinned. “Yes! And naturally, Jason’s Superman.”

"He could be Thor though," Connor mused. "You know with the lightning and all that?"

“Are we really assigning superheroes to everyone?” Clarisse demanded.

Chris shrugged. “It’s kind of fun.”

“Annabeth’s definitely Wonder Woman,” Austin called out.

Annabeth looked pleased with this declaration.

“Of course she is,” Percy said, kissing his girlfriend.

“What about you, Piper?” Travis asked.

Piper folded her arms. “Not sure. Maybe Black Widow or Black Canary. Canary’s got the whole voice thing.”

Connor nodded. “I can see that.”

“Clarisse is Captain America!” Percy blurted.

“Excuse me?” Clarise asked with raised eyebrows.

Percy nodded. “You’re both, like, really good soldiers and you both care about the other soldiers you’re fighting with. And I know we can count on you when we need help.”

“Wow, Prissy,” Clarisse said, looking shocked. “That might have been the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“And that’s the nicest thing  _ you’ve _ ever said to me,” Percy said. “Not happening again.”

“Never,” Clarisse agreed.

A part of Will wondered if that last part had to do with what had happened right before the Battle of Manhattan. The one time they had needed Clarisse, she pulled Ares cabin from the war. No thanks to Will’s siblings for pushing her to that choice.

Maybe this was Percy’s way of saying everything was okay, and she was forgiven and not blamed for anything.

“Who else needs a superhero?” Cecil asked.

“Kayla’s Hawkeye,” Austin volunteered.

“Aww, thanks,” Kayla said dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. “I suppose I  _ do _ have the superior archery skills.” She tapped her chin. “Who’s left now?”

“The Stolls,” Piper called.

“The Flash,” Clarisse grumbled. “I still don’t know how you stole active landmines.”

“We’re just that good,” they grinned.

Cecil let out a whoop. “Does that mean I’m Kid Flash?”

Travis looked back. “Yes!”

“Will, Austin, Lou Ellen, and Chris are left,” Connor said.

“Ooh, ooh, ooh,” Lou Ellen said, bouncing in her seat. “Scarlet Witch.”

Cecil looked impressed. “Nice one. What about Will?”

“That robot from Big Hero 6,” Percy piped up. “Baymax.”

Kayla started laughing. “Oh, that’s perfect. He heals and fights.”

“You guys suck,” Will said, rolling his eyes.

Nico looked completely lost. “What are these names? Who are these people?”

Lou Ellen blinked. “You’ve never read a comic or seen a superhero movie?”

“I don’t think so,” Nico muttered uncertainly. “If I did, I don’t remember it.”

“Superman came out in June of 1938,” Piper said hesitantly. “I only know that because my dad loves them. The comics, I mean.” She glanced back over the seat at Nico. “Considering you grew up in Italy, I doubt you got to read any American comics.”

“You grew up in Italy?” Kayla asked.

Nico nodded slowly. “Uh huh. I was nine or ten when we moved to America.”

“What was it like?” she continued. “I’ve always wanted to travel the world.”

“I don’t really remember,” Nico said honestly. “Venice is full - was full,” he corrected, “of katoblepones.”

“Those cow things?” Jason asked.

“Those cow things,” Nico sighed.

“When was this?” Annabeth asked with a frown.

Piper pursed her lips. “While you two were in Tartarus, we ended up in Venice. Nico, Hazel, and Frank went to get barley from this god Trip something or other.”

“Triptolemus,” Jason corrected.

Piper nodded. “Anyway, I guess Frank had to prove his worth or something, so he rounded up all the katoblepones and… killed them. All.”

“Huh,” Clarisse said. “Maybe he does have some Ares potential.”

Percy let out a long sigh. “What is with all these random monsters. I’ve never even heard of kato whatevers. Are they related to Kate and Porky?” He frowned at Nico. “How’d you know about katoblepthings.”

Nico turned red. “Katoblepones,” he corrected, looking embarrassed. “And if you must know… they were in the Africanus extreme expansion pack of Mythomagic.”

Annabeth looked thoughtful. “Maybe we should teach the campers that game. It might help them figure out what monster they’re facing and what kind of abilities it has.”

Chris whistled. “You guys were all over the place.”

“It wasn’t as much fun as it sounds,” Jason grimaced. “I mean, it was cool that I got to go to the Ancient Lands since I never thought I’d be able to go. It’s forbidden for Roman demigods. But we were always under attack by monsters.”

Piper shuddered. “Sciron almost killed Frank and I.”

“He would have killed Hazel and I if it wasn’t for Hazel using the Mist,” Jason agreed.

Percy scowled. “All my half-brothers suck. Except for Tyson. And Arion, but he’s got a mouth that  _ needs _ to be washed with soap. My mom would kill me if I said half the things he says.”

.

The next day on the bus was spent questioning the Seven and Nico about their quests.

“I feel like we’ve told our story a million times, but what happened with you, Reyna, and coach Hedge, Nico?” Piper asked.

“We almost fell into Mount Vesuvius,” Nico offered. “That was fun. There’s a lot of lemures and lares in Pompeii. Diocletian’s scepter exploded,” he scowled.

Jason looked irritated. “Seriously? After all that?”

“Yep,” Nico said. “Other than that, nothing really eventful happened. I mean, Lycaon attacked us in Evora. The Hunters and Amazons kidnapped Reyna briefly.” He didn’t look pleased about that. “Orion attacked. The Hunters and Amazons kept him busy while we shadow traveled away.” He hesitated. “Then we got back and you know the rest.”

Will could tell that Nico was hiding something, but he didn’t know what.

“Anyone have any plans now that the world isn’t ending?” Kayla asked.

“My aunt died last year,” Annabeth said hesitantly. “I hadn’t seen her since I was seven but I used to be really close with her son, my cousin, Magnus. With everything that was going on, I didn’t get to go for the funeral, but I was thinking about going to Boston to see how Magnus is doing. My dad, my aunt, and my uncle had this falling out right before I ran away. I don’t even know what about, but they haven’t spoken to each other since. With everything we’ve been through, family spats like that are just… silly.”

“Well, I just want to make it through the school year and take my SATs so we can go to New Rome University,” Percy said. “No more quests or anything. I want a break, you know?”

“I’ll be at Camp all year,” Will shrugged.

Nico turned to look at him. “You stay year round?”

Will rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I went home for my birthday once. Never did that again. I probably could, but…”

Austin frowned. “I thought that went okay. What happened?”

“Um, Alabaster Torrington tried to recruit me to Kronos’ Army,” Will mumbled. “Alice found out and then Lou Ellen and Chris know.”

“He’s my half-brother,” Lou Ellen explained.

Chris was silent where he sat. Will felt awkward bring back memories of what was probably not the highlight of Chris’ life.

“So, I probably could go home, but I’m staying,” Will said. “Besides, someone needs to run the infirmary.”

“A.k.a., he doesn’t trust the rest of us enough with his precious infirmary,” Kayla said.

Will sputtered. “Not true,” he protested.

“I believe it,” Nico shrugged.

Will groaned and slumped into his seat.

.

When they pulled back up to Camp Half-Blood, it was nearly nine o’clock in the morning. Will was grateful that he had been able to get plenty of sleep on the bus ride because when the buses came to a stop, he was wide awake and ready for the day.

The side of Will’s face was red and streaked from the window he had woken up to find his face pressed against.

Nico seemed to find that amusing. He had snorted when Will turned to look over at him, revealing the side of his face.

All around them were the sounds of various people waking up.

“I  _ told _ you you drool when you sleep!” Annabeth said.

“It wasn’t me!” Percy protested.

“Then why is my shoulder all wet?” she complained.

“Yeah, Percy,” Connor grinned. “Who was sleeping on Annabeth’s shoulder if it wasn’t you?”

“You people are disgusting,” Clarisse grumbled.

Jason’s head popped up over the back of the seat. His hair was disheveled from sleeping on the bus. “Good morning!” he said cheerfully. He looked a little disappointed though.

Cecil had no problems greeting Jason just as cheerfully. “Good morning.”

“We’ve talked the whole night through,” Lou Ellen sang.

Will peered over the back of the seat to look at her. “Too early, Lou.”

She ignored him. “Good mornin', good mornin'. It's great to stay up late. Good mornin', good mornin' to you.” She propped her head on her elbows looking over the seat. “Come on, Will. You should appreciate such a performance.”

“I liked it,” Kayla yawned.

Austin rubbed his eyes. “Yeah. It was great. If I had my saxophone, I would have given you the music.”

Clarisse let out a breath. “This is what I get for traveling with a bunch of theater kids.”

“Hey!” Lou Ellen, Kayla, and Austin protested.

They all piled out of the bus along with the rest of the campers in the other buses and made their way up Half-Blood Hill.

It was good to be back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. So there's an alternate scene for this which you can find in Riordanverse Outtakes. There is also an alternate scene within the alternate scene.
> 
> Anyway, before all you comic fans or MCU and DCEU fans get all up in my face about mixing the universes, it was just a fun little conversation for them to have. Personally, I watch all the MCU movies and I've seen the Arrowverse TV shows. Not so much the DC movies, but I've seen a few. That is what I am basing all these descriptions on. If anyone has any other suggestions about who would be who, I'd love to hear them!


	55. Camp Bead

“You do realize that a lot of you siblings have worked in the infirmary for a while now, right?” Nico asked. He was sitting on one of the beds watching Will go through the cabinets.

“Yeah, I know, but I just want to make sure everything is fine,” Will said. “Make sure we have enough bandages and stuff, you know?”

“We were gone for six days,” Nico rolled his eyes. “And most people went with us to California, so I highly doubt you’re out of anything.”

“Yeah, well, I like to be stocked up on things before the winter session,” Will told Nico. “The less we have to leave Camp, the better. Kayla, Austin, and I are the only year-rounders and I don’t want something to happen while we’re gone for supplies.”

He continued sorting through the various rolls of bandages and gauze until Nico finally broke the silence.

“Don’t you miss your mom?”

Will gave Nico a startled look. “Well, yeah. Of course, but I don’t want to put her in more danger than I have to. If monsters came for us, I might be able to fight off a few, but not a lot. Besides, I video chat with her every month or so. I mean, it kinda sucks that I can’t bring my friends over or anything, but she understands why I stay away. I’d go back if something big happened, but…” he trailed off.

Nico had an unreadable look on his face. “Does she know about the wars?”

“I told her about the Titan war,” Will said. “Not the giant war. Or about the Romans. I didn’t really want her worrying about the Earth waking up and destroying us all. I’m talking to her tomorrow for my birthday though, so I might fill her in about everything then.”

“It’s your birthday tomorrow?” Nico froze.

Will nodded. “Fifteenth birthday.” He blinked. “Huh. I can start drivers ed. Do you think Argus is certified to teach that?”

“I… I didn’t know it was your birthday,” Nico said quietly.

“Well I didn’t tell you until just now.”

“But… don’t friends get each other gifts for birthdays?”

Will frowned. “If you want, but honestly… what am I going to do with a present here? Usually my siblings just make me cake or cupcakes. Cecil hangs out with us. Lou Ellen wasn’t here last year for my birthday. You were off being…” he waved his hand around. “Sulky.”

“I did not sulk,” Nico said firmly. “Besides that was…” he cut himself off. “It was right after the war.”

“Anyway,” Will said, “you’re going to the campfire tonight, right?”

Before Nico could answer, a shout interrupted the quiet of the infirmary.

“Will!”

Nico and Will turned to see Lydia running towards them. She looked worried.

“Lydia,” Will said. “What happened?”

“I can’t find my necklace,” Lydia sighed.

Will frowned. “Are you sure Alice and Julia didn’t take it? Or Connor or Travis?”

Lydia threw him a dirty look. “I had it when we got back. I put it on my nightstand before I took a nap and now I can’t find it.”

“Did you look on the ground?” Will asked.

“Where do you  _ think _ was the first place I looked?” Lydia snapped.

Nico slid off the bed. “Um, how about I go help you find your necklace and Will can keep doing… whatever it is he’s doing,” he suggested. Then he frowned. “Uh, what necklace are you looking for?”

Lydia huffed. “My camp necklace. Duh!”

Will saw Nico falter. Then Nico brushed it off.

“Right,” he said with a nod. “I’ll help you find your camp necklace.” He glanced back at Will. “I’ll, uh, see you later. At the campfire.”

As they went, Will couldn’t help but think about how he had never seen a camp necklace around Nico’s neck.

.

That night at the campfire was the annual bead ceremony. Which was why Lydia was so worried about finding her necklace which she apparently did find because she joined Will and their siblings at dinner cheerfully.

Nico sat with Jason and Percy like usual at dinner, but Will could tell his mind was elsewhere. He was still in a daze when he came over to walk with Will to the campfire.

“You okay?” Will asked.

Nico shrugged. “Yeah. Just… thinking.”

“You know, if you  _ want _ a necklace, Chiron probably has extra beads,” Will said. “Or we could make them. The Labyrinth bead and the Battle of Manhattan bead are the only ones you’re missing. Unless you have last summer’s.”

“I don’t,” Nico admitted. “I told Chiron I didn’t want one. Mostly because… well, I didn’t think I would be sticking around very long. But when I was helping Lydia find her necklace, which by the way  _ was _ on the floor under her nightstand, I realized that I do want one. Even if I just leave it in my cabin.”

“Hi, Nico. Hi, Will,” Jason greeted them cheerfully.

“Jason,” Nico said. “Piper.”

Piper gave them a smile. “This is going to be our first bead. It’s kind of exciting.”

“Yeah,” Nico agreed. “It’s exciting.”

They took their seats as Annabeth stood up at the front.

“It’s been a pretty crazy year,” she said. “There were a lot of events to choose from for the bead this year. But there was one thing we all agreed on. This summer’s bead should commemorate the new friendship between Greeks and Romans that will hopefully last a long time.”

.

_ “It has to be purple and orange this year,” Percy said. “I don’t think anyone can argue that Greeks and Romans getting along isn’t something to celebrate.” _

_ Jason nodded. “I agree with Percy.” _

_ “We should put something on it,” Nyssa suggested. “A purple and orange swirl with some design. The Argo II. The quest of seven was pretty significant.” _

_ “What about Festus’ head?” Katie Gardner offered. “I mean, we know Leo’s alive somewhere, but we could honor his sacrifice.” _

_ Piper glared at the ping-pong table. “I cannot believe he did that.” _

_ “What about the Athena Parthenos?” Lou Ellen said. “I mean, if Reyna, Nico, and Hedge hadn’t gotten it back in time, this discussion wouldn’t even be happening.” _

_ The room fell silent at that. _

_ “Or,” Connor said with a grin, “and just hear me out on this, a baby satyr.” _

_ Will buried his face in his hands. “Stop,” he groaned. _

_ At least, it broke the silence. Most of the room broke out into laughter except for Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Jason, and Nico. Although, Will could see Nico hiding a smile behind his hands. _

_ “I don’t get it,” Percy said. “Why is that so funny?” _

_ “Coach arrived just in time for Chuck’s birth,” Nico said, thankfully leaving off the part Will was hoping wouldn’t come up. _

_ “Courtesy of Will Solace,” Travis snickered. _

_ And there it was. _

_ Annabeth stared at Will. “You delivered a baby?” _

_ “Please, say it louder,” Will muttered darkly. “I don’t think the Romans heard you.” _

.

Annabeth presented the bead to everyone. “It went through many,  _ many _ design changes, but in the end we decided on the Athena Parthenos.” She passed out the beads.

The bead was a swirl of orange and purple to represent the Greeks and Romans with an ivory statue in the middle.

“Lou Ellen pointed out that if the quest to return the statue had not succeeded, we probably wouldn’t be here,” Annabeth continued. “We certainly wouldn’t be friends with the Romans, and Gaea possibly would have won.”

Next to Will, Nico held his single bead looped onto the leather string.

Lou Ellen and Cecil came over to sit in front of Nico and Will.

“I can’t believe you guys chose  _ her _ design,” Cecil joked.

“It was a good point,” Will said. “The Athena Parthenos was pretty important.”

Lou Ellen nodded. “Exactly.” She looked at Nico. “So how’s it feel to be commemorated on a bead?”

“I don’t know about  _ commemorated _ -”

“You helped deliver the statue,” Lou Ellen interrupted. “Which means that since the statue is on the bead, you’re indirectly honored.”

Nico shrugged and put the necklace on carefully.

“Ah!” Lou Ellen said, pointing at Nico. “A splash of color!”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I  _ do _ wear more than just black, you know.”

“Dark grey doesn’t count,” Jason called.

“Come on,” Cecil complained. “He’s like Batman, remember? It’s fine.”

“I still don’t know what that is,” Nico frowned.

Will patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you caught up. I’ll make you a Captain America list. Star Wars, Marvel, actually superheroes in general…”

Lou Ellen gave them an odd look. “Captain America list?”

“Yeah, you know, the list Cap was making after he came out of the ice,” Will shrugged. “Movies to watch, music to listen too, books to read.”

It was very amusing because Nico was definitely like Captain America in the fact that they were both two guys displaced in time.

“Books to read?” Annabeth appeared with Percy in the seats in front of Jason and Piper. “What are you guys doing? Starting a book club?”

“Will’s taking Lou Ellen’s culturing of Nico to a new level,” Cecil answered. “Considering he didn’t like the effects of Harry Potter, I don’t know why. Now they want to get Nico hooked on Star Wars and superhero movies.”

“Wait, so Will is going to show Nico a bunch of movies?” Percy asked in confusion. “What does that have to do with books?”

“Oh, they’re just getting started,” Piper said with a grin. “Plus, the books are almost always better than the movies, so if they make any book adaptation suggestions, Nico should read the books first.”

“Very true,” Annabeth agreed. “Let me know what books. Athena cabin has a ton of copies of books in Ancient Greek.”

“Yeah,” Percy said sourly. “I know. You made me read  _ Tom Sawyer _ after you found out I didn’t read it in sixth grade. And all the other books from over the years.”

“Teachers have you read them for a reason,” Annabeth sighed. “Maybe if you had just  _ read _ them the first time-”

“They were in English and I have dyslexia!”

“Exactly. You could have asked for a copy in Greek.”

Percy slumped in his seat. “Whatever.”

Nico was eyeing them all warily. “Do not dump a whole bunch of books for me to read.”

“How about seven?” Lou Ellen asked with a mad glint in her eyes. “Harry Potter. You’ve seen the movies, but the books are  _ way _ better.”

“Oh gods please,” Cecil muttered.

“What’s wrong with Harry Potter?” Lou Ellen and Nico asked.

“Nothing as long as you aren’t screaming about it on a long bus ride while some of us are trying not to go crazy with our ADHD,” Will said.

Nico frowned. “Not my fault you weren’t enjoying the movies.”

“I  _ did _ enjoy the movies, but they lost the novelty when I had two of my friends screaming in my face the whole time.”

“I did  _ not _ scream.”

Will crossed his arms. “And I quote, ‘They can’t kill Sirius!’ or what about ‘How could Dumbledore ask Snape to kill him?’ or even when you screamed, ‘Go Neville!’ That woke everyone up and freaked them out.”

“They were really good movies,” Nico said defensively.

“That’s right, Nico,” Lou Ellen said, crossing her arms. “Harry Potter is amazing.”

“For the love of all the gods,” Cecil muttered in exasperation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. The Camp bead for the summer with Gaea and the Romans has gone through changes throughout my stories. In When They Came, it was the orange and purple swirl with symbols to represent the Seven, Nico, and Will. In this, it's the orange and purple swirl with the Athena Parthenos. I don't know. We'll see how it changes in any other stories I write.


End file.
